BROOKLYN — A 27-year-old Midwood man was indicted on hate crime charges Tuesday after robbing three Russian women in their 60s because of their age, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced.
Akmaljon Abakulov robbed the thee women in Midwood in October and November, pushing two of them to the ground before snatching their purse, according to the DA. He was indicted on 20 counts including robbery as a hate crime, grand larceny as a hate crime and assault.
“This defendant allegedly targeted older women to rob because he believed they were easy marks,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “Cowardly attacks such as these will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. We will work vigorously to prosecute all crimes based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity.”
Abakulov first approached a 64-year-old woman after she withdrew $700 from an ATM on Kings Highway on Oct. 12. The woman put the money in an envelope and then in her purse. Abakulov then walked up to her from behind, pushed her against a parked van and took the money out of her purse, prosecutors said.
Then on Oct. 24 he approached followed a 61-year-old woman from East 16th Street and Avenue P to East 14th Street before grabbing her purse. The woman struggled with Abakulov before he threw her to the ground and fled with her purse, the DA added.
Finally, on Nov. 1 a 61-year-old woman was in a T.J. Maxx on East 15th Street and put her handbag in her shopping cart, covered by her coat. She then briefly stepped away and returned to find her wallet missing. The woman called 911 and authorities took video of the incident.
Abakulov then returned to the store the following day and a manager alerted authorities, who returned and arrested him.
He was held on $125,000 bail after his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court Tuesday afternoon, and is due back on Jan. 25.
Abakulov’s lawyer, Estajo Koslow, said the alleged robberies should not be considered hate crimes since there is no proof the women were intentionally targeted because of their ethnicity, gender or age.
“I think that they are really pushing the limits of the law,” Koslow said. "I don’t believe this is what the hate crime statute was created for."
