In recent hours, a new video has emerged showing an extended version of the assault suffered by Osvaldo Rivera McIntosh, an Uber driver who was attacked on May 3rd in Charlotte, North Carolina, after revealing to his passenger that he was Cuban.
The subject was finally arrested on May 19 and has been identified as Sean Smith, according to Univision.
The individual will now face several charges of strangulation and four charges of assault.
In the newly released enlarged images, it is confirmed that Rivera McIntosh was assaulted by the individual at two different moments, something the victim reiterated in a recent interview with Progreso Hispano News, a media outlet in the city of Charlotte.
Osvaldo Rivera explained that when he went to the house to pick him up, he had to wait a couple of minutes because his passenger was talking to someone.
He recounts that when the man got into the car, he realized he was drunk, but he never imagined what would happen next.
As already seen in previous days, the driver and the customer greeted each other, the passenger asked for the name, and he replied "Osvaldo." The customer repeated the name with difficulty and then asked where he was from, to which he responded "Cuba." When asked what he was doing in the U.S., he said he was "seeking better opportunities."
Rivera claims that with five minutes left to reach their destination, the passenger tried to strangle him with the seatbelt.
After a moment when it seemed to calm down, he charged again, pulling him by the sweater while the Cuban shouted "Help!" until he was finally rescued by a security vehicle passing through the area.
"Horrible, horrible, very quick, but very strong", the Cuban emphasized in statements to the cited media.
The Cuban took the opportunity to express that he has been dissatisfied and disappointed with the authorities' attitude up to this point.
"I had to go to the police several times. They never gave me the report, they never gave me a name, they never gave me a clear answer. I don't have an officer who calls me and tells me anything," he complained.
"I haven't heard back from anyone. Completely abandoned, and I never thought I would feel this way because I am an honest worker, I pay my taxes, and this shouldn’t happen just because I am Latino.", he concluded.
In recent days, Carolina Reyes Pozada, wife of the Cuban driver, launched a plea for help through the fundraising platform GiveSendGo in order to raise 10,000 dollars to cover legal, medical, and basic living expenses.
"Fortunately, my husband survived, but the physical, emotional, and economic consequences are devastating. Since that day, he lives in fear and no longer feels safe to return to work," she explained.
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