CHELSEA, Manhattan — Two men were arrested Wednesday after allegedly harassing a woman in Chelsea, directing racist comments at her and setting her boots on fire, according to police.
The incident occurred last Thursday at West 26th Street and Seventh Avenue. Authorities said the 54-year-old woman was approached by two men, including one who was wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat.
According to police, one of the men attempted to kiss the woman. When she pushed him away, he allegedly began making anti-Black statements toward her while the second man recorded the encounter on a cellphone for YouTube.
Police said one of the suspects then pulled out a lighter and set the woman’s boots on fire. She was not physically injured, but her boots , valued at $89, were destroyed.
The two men later posted videos about the incident on their “scrubsnyc” YouTube page, including a clip of themselves reading a New York Post article about the alleged assault.
The men were filming themselves walking through Midtown Manhattan, harassing pedestrians and taunting police officers, before they were taken into custody near Bryant Park.
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