A traveler who went on a racist rant at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City earlier this year was indicted Thursday on charges of unlawful imprisonment and aggravated assault for kicking and screaming at a Muslim Delta Airlines employee.
Robin Rhodes, 57, was reportedly returning to the U.S. after a trip to Aruba in January when he went on his horrific tirade, CNN reports. According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, Rhodes came up to the office of the employee, who remains unidentified, and started berating the individual: “Are you [expletive] sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?”
Rhodes punched the door, which hit the back of the employee’s chair. The employee (who has the patience of a saint, I swear) asked Rhodes what she had done to him, to which he boldly replied, “You did nothing but I am going to kick your [expletive] ass,” a criminal complaint noted.
Rhodes then kicked the employee in the leg. When the employee attempted to get away, Rhodes kept on terrorizing the woman, kicking the door and stepping into her office, blocking her from getting away.
Another unidentified individual attempted to calm Rhodes down and moved him away from the door. The employee managed to get out of the office to the lounge’s front desk. But Rhodes allegedly followed her and even mocked her religion, apparently getting down on his knees and bowing down to imitate a Muslim praying.
“[Expletive] Islam, [expletive] ISIS, Trump is here now. He will get rid of all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kind of people. You will see what happens,” Rhodes yelled, according to CNN Wire.
Rhodes is also facing hate crime charges in the incident.
The victim reportedly suffered pain and redness in her right leg and was in fear of physical injury, annoyance and alarm, the charges note.
After the attack, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the Transportation Worker Protection Act, which would make assault against an airport worker a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Rhodes was released on $50,000 bond but was ordered to return to court in June. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Read more at CNN.