North Hollywood Filipino family calls attack caught on video hate crime

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- An arrest warrant has been issued for a North Hollywood man who was caught on video threatening a Filipino family then allegedly assaulting them in a McDonald's parking lot.

The incident happened in May.

Patricia Roque was in a car with her mother, Nerissa, waiting in the McDonald's drive-thru line when she said Nicholas Weber bumped them from behind.

She said he then pulled up next to them and began hurling racial slurs at them.

When Roque's father showed up, the family claims Weber became violent.

"He pushed my dad on the concrete ground," Roque told Eyewitness News. "He had a broken rib on his left side. My mom, on the other hand, suffered physical injuries as well when she was strangled. She was also hit in the chest."

Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department cited Weber with two counts of felony battery that night.

His charges bear a hate crime allegation. However, Weber was released and even though he was slated to appear in court last week, Weber didn't show up.

"We're extremely, extremely disappointed by how law enforcement is taking care of this case," said Roque.

The Roque family's ordeal was the inspiration for an anti-Asian hate crime rally outside the Van Nuys Courthouse Friday afternoon. It was organized by the Filipino Migrant Center.

The latest FBI statistics show anti-Asian hate crimes increased 73% between 2019 and 2020.

With Weber on the loose, the Roque family and the dozens who turned out for the rally are pushing the L.A. District Attorney's Office and LAPD to prosecute Weber to the fullest extent of the law.

"Our biggest concern is that he may not only return to harm us, but also vulnerable people within our community as well," Roque said.