Police have arrested two men accused of hurling anti-Black remarks at a woman and setting her boots on fire after she refused to let one of them kiss her, according to New York authorities.
Police say the confrontation happened in Manhattan, where the men approached the 54-year-old woman on a Midtown street and tried to talk to her. One of the men then allegedly leaned in as if to kiss her, and she rejected the advance.
Investigators say the situation escalated when the men began making anti-Black statements toward her, and one of them appeared to record the encounter on a phone. The woman tried to walk away as the harassment continued, according to the complaint.
Authorities allege that one of the suspects then used a lighter to set the woman's boots on fire while she was still wearing them, according to People. The flames damaged her footwear, which police valued at about $89, before she was able to put them out and move away.
Officials say she did not suffer physical injuries but immediately reported what happened to police. Because of the slurs used during the encounter, the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force took over the investigation.
Detectives reviewed surveillance video and clips shared online, including footage that appeared to show the encounter being filmed for social media, ABC7NY reported. Images released by police showed one suspect wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat and the other holding a phone mounted on a small tripod, authorities said.
With those images, police appealed to the public for tips and later identified two men they say match the individuals in the videos. They were taken into custody in New York City earlier this week.
The suspects, identified as Michael A. Santiago, 31, and Michael James, 33, have been charged with attempted assault as a hate crime and criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other counts. Police say they also face charges, including aggravated harassment, menacing, and arson stemming from the fire set to the victim's boots.
Prosecutors are expected to present the case in court, where both men will have the chance to enter pleas. Investigators are still reviewing additional video and have asked anyone with more information to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers tip line, as per Patch.
