Editor’s note: This article was updated to include information from the District Attorney’s Office.
A Fremont man is facing an additional hate crime charge ahead of his preliminary hearing for two separate assaults. Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced the additional charge at a press conference Tuesday.
“Hate crimes will not be tolerated in this county regardless of your ethnicity or your zip code,” Price said.
Aqweel Khan, 46, of Fremont, was arrested Dec. 9, 2021, on suspicion of ramming and running over his neighbor Corey Brown, 46, who is Black, six times with his car a few days earlier. Price shared a video showing the incident with reporters at the press conference. On Dec. 13, he was charged with premeditated attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for the Dec. 6 incident. He was also charged at that time with assaulting Ayesha Khan, an Indian woman, in Central Park on Aug. 26, 2021, which included a hate crime enhancement.
Price, who was elected during the past November election, said it was unclear why her predecessor did not include the hate crime enhancement in the Dec. 6 charges, but she was adding it now since it was clear the assault was racially motivated. She commended the Fremont Police Department in a press release for requesting the attack against Brown be charged as a hate crime.
Before the incident, Khan reportedly used racial slurs against Brown, threatened him, vandalized his car with racial slurs and attempted to physically assault him.
“So there was clear evidence of racial animus by Mr. Khan targeted toward Mr. Brown,” Price said.
The amended complaint was not available, but the initial complaint charged Khan with several felonies, including premeditated attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism resulting in more than $400 in damage and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.
A pretrial hearing for Khan is set for April 14.
Khan is currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail.
