A 42 year old Des Moines, Iowa woman named Nicole has been charged with attempted murder after police in Clive, Iowa said she told them she intentionally hit a 14 year old girl with her vehicle because she believed the girl was Mexican.
Police said Nicole was arrested on unrelated charges when she admitted to hitting the teen on December 9. According to authorities, the girl was walking to school when the vehicle drove onto the sidewalk, struck her and left the scene. Police said Nicole then made a series of derogatory statements about Latinos during her interview with detectives.
CNN reported that Nicole was also charged with assault in a separate incident that same day. Police said that about an hour and a half after the first incident, she used racist language toward a clerk and customers at a West Des Moines convenience store and threw items at the clerk. KCCI also reported on the case.
Authorities are working to determine whether the incident qualifies as a hate crime. Clive Police Chief Michael Venema said at a news conference that police will present everything to prosecutors, who will decide what crimes to pursue. “There is no place in our community (or any other) for this kind of hatred and violence,” he said, adding that police are committed to supporting the victim and her family.
According to charging documents, Nicole is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on December 30. The charges are allegations, and the case has not been decided in court.
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