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Hate crime enhancements dropped in Roque family’s Asian hate case

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Steve Angeles | TFC News Van Nuys California

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jXqjGuc952c?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><p>A California judge has ruled that the Asian hate case involving a Filipino-American family will proceed to trial after the preliminary hearings earlier this month.</p><p>But the suspect in the Roque family&#x27;s case, Nicholas Weber, will not face hate crime enhancements in his charges, which include two felony battery counts.</p><p>&quot;It’s really disappointing how we’ve been treated so far and how the justice system is treating this case when it’s really obvious this is a hate crime,&quot; said Patrick Roque, a family member. &quot;It’s really obvious from the video that it was a hate crime.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/11/23/preliminary-hearing-for-roque-familys-asian-hate-case-begins">Preliminary hearing for Roque family&#x27;s Asian hate case begins</a></div><p>Activists who have supported the Roque family have vowed to continue their fight for justice.</p><p>Since the alleged attack against the family almost a year ago, the victims said they are still recovering from their trauma and injuries.</p><p>&quot;This is not the end,&quot; said Ysabel Roque. &quot;This has just always been the beginning of something.&quot;</p><p>The activists said that while they were disappointed that the hate crime enhancements were dropped, they were not surprised with the ruling.<br/><br/>Statistics from the California justice department showed that from 2015 to 2021, only less than half of the hate cases filed by district attorneys and city officials led to a conviction.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/04/11/23/roque-family-recounts-anti-asian-hate-attack-during-three-day-pretrial">Roque family recounts anti-Asian hate attack during three-day pretrial</a></div><p>A video from the May 2022 incident showed Weber hurling anti-Asian remarks against the Roques. He also threatened to kill Nerissa and her daughter Patricia, after Weber&#x27;s jeep rear-ended their vehicle at a fast food drive-thru.</p><p>Despite what transpired in the footage, the judge ruled that the sequence of events did not show that the physical attack was racially-motivated.</p><p>But the judge ruled that Weber&#x27;s physical attack on Gabriel Roque caused significant injury.</p><p>Anakbayan USA denounced the decision and said what it witnessed &quot;up there was not justice.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Because the hateful words that Weber said happened minutes before the assault, there is no probable cause for a hate crime,&quot; said Dominico Vega of Anakbayan USA. &quot;The tragedy is those few minutes were enough for them to see that wasn’t a hate crime, but the Roque family has to live for the rest of their lives knowing they were assaulted because they’re Asian.&quot;</p><p>Weber is scheduled to return to court for his arraignment on May 1, a few days before the anniversary of the incident.</p>

The suspect in the Roque family's case, Nicholas Weber, will not face hate crime enhancements in his charges, which include two felony battery counts.