A young man who attacked two Asian youths because of their race, leaving both with facial injuries, was sentenced to more than three years in prison, prosecutors said.
Kevin M Brown, 19, pleaded guilty to second and third-degree assault as a hate crime, prosecutors said. He was also sentenced to 2- 1/2 years of post-release supervision yesterday.
Brown, who is white, acknowledged beating Lu and attacking Reynold Liang when he tried to intervene, District Attorney Richard A. Brown said.
Liang and Lu, both 19, were driving in the city's Queens borough in August when they were rammed by a car carrying two white men shouting racial slurs and cursing, police and prosecutors said at the time. Liang said he drove away but was attacked by the men when he pulled over to check his car for damage.
Another man arrested in the case, Paul Heavey, 21, of Queens has been charged with assault as a hate crime, reckless endangerment as a hate crime and other offences.