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Preliminary hearing for Roque family's Asian hate case begins

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Steve Angeles | TFC News Van Nuys California

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x_UBCCSDaNc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>The preliminary hearing for the May 2022 anti-Asian hate attack on a Filipino-American family in North Hollywood began on April 4.The first to testify was Patricia Roque, who was in the passenger seat of their vehicle at a fastfood parking lot when Nicholas Weber rear-ended them. Weber would then make anti-Asian comments and physically confront Patricia&#x27;s parents, Gabriel and Nerissa.Patricia addressed the crowd of about 100 supporters before she entered the courthouse.&quot;My family and I just want justice for what happened to us,&quot; she said. We don&#x27;t have any ulterior motives. We just want to show how the community is very vital in support when it comes to facing injustice.&quot;During the said testimony, Patricia was asked to recount the incident by the prosecution and the defense team. Videos from her phone as well as recording from police officers after the incident were also played.Community members filled the Van Nuys courthouse throughout the day to show solidarity for the Roque family.&quot;The process is definitely not easy,&quot; said Karen Roxas of the National Alliance of Filipino Concerns. &quot;It is a long way to the justice that we want to see so we really want to see the community members continuing to support the family.&quot;Weber appeared in court dressed in a blue prison suit, seated next to his lawyer. He faces two felony batter counts, both with hate crime allegations.Other members of the Roque family are expected to testify during the continuation of the proceedings this week.The judge will then decide if the case moves to a jury trial.

The preliminary hearing for the May 2022 anti-Asian hate attack on a Filipino-American family in North Hollywood began on April 4.