US Edition
2 Men Arrested For NYC Hate Crime Attack, Set Womans Boots On Fire
Michael James and Michael Santiago face multiple hate crime charges including arson after setting a Black woman's $89 boots on fire during a racist attack in Manhattan.
- Police said the arrests followed on February 26, 2026, after two men were linked to a hate crime in Chelsea involving a 54-year-old woman, according to NYPD.
- During the confrontation, the suspects used anti-Black slurs and one set her boots on fire after she pushed away the man attempting to kiss her near West 26th Street and Seventh Avenue on Feb. 19.
- Footage shows one man using a cellphone on a selfie stick; the suspects filmed the scene and posted it to ScrubsNYC, and one wore a red Make America Great Again hat with about 1,670 YouTube subscribers.
- Both suspects were booked and escorted from the Midtown South Precinct, police said, with Michael A. Santiago, 31, and Michael James, 33, charged with attempted assault and criminal mischief as hate crimes.
- The victim reported the damage to police after noticing her boots valued at $89 were ruined; police referred the case to the Hate Crimes Task Force and asked for tips at Crime Stoppers Hotline 1-800-577-TIPS .
20 Articles
20 Articles
Black America Web
MAGA Malevolence: Trump Supporters Charged With Hate Crime For Setting Black Woman’s Boots On Fire While Using Racist Slurs
Source: Alishia Abodunde / Getty There are only two days left of Black History Month 2026 and sadly, stories like this are still proliferating in the news cycle. According to The Grio, two white men, one proudly rocking a red MAGA hat, have been arrested and charged with hate crimes after assaulting and berating a Black woman in New York City with bigotry. Thirty-three-year-old Michael James and his roommate, 31-year-old Michael Santiago, were …
The Macomb Daily
MAGA social media trolls arrested for setting Black woman’s boots on fire in NYC hate crime
A pair of social media trolls — including one who sports a “Make America Great Again” red hat — have been arrested for trying to light a Black woman’s boots on fire during a clash on a Manhattan street filled with racist insults, police said Thursday. The demented duo, known online as “ScrubsNYC,” were nabbed late Wednesday, just a few hours after cops released their images and asked the public’s help tracking them down. They were wanted for …
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