Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime

Jesse Allen Lindsey, a 38-year-old transient man, pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for assaulting an Asian American woman in Culver City on June 14, 2021. Lindsey approached the victim while she was walking to work, asking for a cigarette before using racial slurs and punching her in the head, causing her to fall and sustain serious injuries that required 11 stitches. Prosecutors highlighted Lindsey's derogatory remarks during the attack, as well as his subsequent fear of harsher penalties for hate crimes, which led him to flee California. The incident has been condemned as a violent act fueled by hate, with officials emphasizing the importance of enforcing civil rights. Lindsey faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, with sentencing set for March 3, 2025. His actions have prompted strong statements from law enforcement, denouncing the violence as unacceptable in society.