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Modesto Woman In Wheelchair Punched In Face

MODESTO (CBS13) - A Modesto man was arrested Tuesday after police say he punched a 69-year-old woman who was at a bus stop in a wheelchair, hitting her with a closed fist in the face and then saying "I hate white people!"

The incident happened at around 11:20 a.m. Police officers were called to the 1600 block of Coffee Road in northeast Modesto for a report of an assault. When officers arrived they found a 69-year-old woman who was the victim of an assault.

Officers learned the woman was waiting for a Modesto Area Express bus when she was approached by Nicholas Velasquez, 29, of Modesto. Velasquez punched the woman for no apparent reason other than his declaration about white people, according to police.

The woman's glasses were broken as a result of the assault. She also sustained a black eye and a minor laceration on her face. She was treated at the scene and went on her way, police said.

Officers located Velasquez on Scenic Road near Coffee Road. He was arrested without incident and booked into the Stanislaus County Jail for elder abuse and a hate crime.

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