Gang member accused of punching white woman in hate crime

CLEVELAND – Authorities in Cleveland say a suspected gang member who is black walked up to a white woman he didn’t know, accused her of being a white supremacist and punched her without any provocation.

Cleveland.com reports police arrested 24-year-old Jermaine Hines Jr. early Thursday on a felony ethnic intimidation charge. Online court records don’t indicate whether Hines has an attorney who could comment on the accusations.

Authorities say Hines walked up to a 51-year-old woman on a Cleveland street in August, punched her and knocked her to the ground. Documents say Hines accused the woman of being a member of the Ku Klux Klan and called her a white supremacist.

A Cleveland police detective said in court documents that Hines is a member of a street gang.

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Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com