A Yonkers man pled guilty to committing a violent hate crime in connection to an attack in which he punched a 67-year-old Asian woman more than 100 times, repeatedly stomping on her upper body as he hurled racial epithets at the helpless woman on the floor, prosecutors say.
Tammel Esco, 42, pled guilty to assault in the first degree as a hate crime, a violent felony. According to his plea agreement, Esco will be sentenced on Nov. 29 to 17 ½ years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision.
Esco was arrested by the Yonkers Police Department in March and held without bail since.
Esco was arrested shortly after the March 11 attack on the woman as she entered the vestibule of her apartment building on Riverdale Avenue that evening.
Hard-to-watch surveillance footage previously released by police shows a man land punch upon punch -- about 125 of them in total -- on the defenseless woman, leaving her bloody on the ground.
The victim, who is Filipino, suffered brain bleeding, multiple facial fractures, bruising and lacerations to her head and face in an attack that the Yonkers police commissioner described as one of the most appalling assaults he had ever seen.
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According to the investigation, the victim simply passed by Esco on her way home and he allegedly yelled a slur at her. She ignored him.
When she moved to unlock the second door to enter the lobby, she was punched in the head from behind and knocked to the floor, then punched dozens of more times by alternating fists. The man then foot-stomps her seven times and spits on her, police say.
A witness had said she called 911 when she saw Esco punching the woman while on top of her — and that witness' interference may be the only reason the victim is still alive.
"I started knocking on the door, and when I did that it caught his attention, and that's when he got off of her," said Yvette Crespo. "He went out that door, went to the corner, put his hands up," and roared, she said.
Esco lived in the same building as the victim. Police said he has a criminal record and has previously served time for assault.
“Today’s agreement secures justice for the brave victim who endured the shocking attack and its aftermath, and for a community impacted by the trauma of this hate-driven violence,” Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah said.
If you are a victim or a witness to a hate crime or bias incident, call the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office at (914) 995-TIPS.
