
After a group of teenagers were caught on camera using racial slurs and attempting to obstruct an Asian American woman from exiting a train, transit police in Boston detained a 16-year-old male on Monday.
The adolescent was suspected of unarmed assault with the intent to rob and assault with the intent to intimidate, according to a statement posted on social media by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Transit Police.
Due to his juvenile status, the authorities withheld the suspect’s identification and declined to speak further on the incident.
The arrest came more than a week after a group of unidentified young boys attacked Vivian Dang, 25. In a video of the incident, they can be seen physically cornering Dang and yelling racial epithets at her.
“Can you please get me some dumplings?” With a phony accent, one of the adolescents can be heard stating. “Can you please get me some ramen with the egg?”
The teenagers then allegedly broke a train window before escaping, according to police.
Dang told NBC News that although the arrest left her with conflicted feelings, she eventually hoped that it would spark more fruitful discussions about racism and public transportation safety.
“It’s sweet and sour. Because it was a child, she advised against getting them into trouble. But once more, this was caused by their acts.
Dang also stressed that, in her opinion, a group of individuals who benefited from one another’s activity, rather than a single individual, was responsible for the attack.
They were just laughing about it while saying all of those things, and I believe they were trying to capitalize on what they found amusing or what they believed would make their friend laugh, according to Dang. But in the end, people do take those words to mean something.
Dang expressed her gratitude for the three women who spoke out for her in the heat of the moment and consoled her following the assault, but she also expressed her desire that all onlookers will feel obligated to assist victims.
“Men should be able to make individuals answerable and rise to the occasion in the future. Never too late, Dang said. It’s the start of a dialogue about standing up for the rights of others and seeking justice.