Culver City, CA – A 38-year-old man, Jesse Allen Lindsey, has received a 51-month federal prison sentence for a hate crime following his unprovoked assault on an Asian American woman nearly three years ago in Culver City, officials said Monday. Lindsey, who was homeless at the time of the incident, admitted guilt to the federal hate crime charge in December 2024 and has been in federal custody since July of the same year.
The violent episode unfolded on the morning of June 14, 2021, as the victim was en route to her job. Lindsey harassed the woman with racial insults and aggressively told her, “You don’t belong here.” He then abruptly and violently struck her in the head, causing her to fall and sustain injuries.
The assault did not end with the physical attack; while the victim was incapacitated on the ground, Lindsey further berated her with additional derogatory remarks.
Responding emergency services transported the affected woman to a hospital for treatment of head and ear injuries sustained from the attack. She required a month to recover sufficiently to return to work and reportedly suffers ongoing psychological effects from the incident.
After the attack, Lindsey fled the state. His movement was later traced back to California where he was apprehended while serving a sentence for a separate crime in a state prison.
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald condemned the assault as a “shocking and horrible crime,” and referenced Lindsey’s lengthy criminal record, which includes a history of violent and non-violent crimes.
FBI agents spearheaded the investigation into the hate crime, working in close collaboration with the Culver City Police Department. The federal case was presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson.
Lindsey’s explanation for the attack during investigative interviews was that he acted in self-defense, despite the physical disparity between him and the considerably smaller victim. He derogatorily referred to her presumed martial arts prowess in a manner that appeared to mock her ethnicity, according to official reports.
The legal proceedings highlight a growing concern over racially motivated violence, with community leaders and advocacy groups voicing a need for more comprehensive measures to tackle hate crimes. This case has prompted discussions on the adequacy of current legal frameworks and the necessity for enhanced community education to foster understanding and prevent such hate-driven incidents.