Milwaukee police have arrested a man after he allegedly threw acid in the face of another man before telling him to “go back to your country.”
Mahud Villalaz suffered second-degree burns in the dispute which he says started over how a car was parked.
"I believe [I] am a victim of a hate crime because [of] how he approached me," Mr Villalaz told Milwaukee news station WISN.
The victim says he was also called an “illegal” before being attacked.
A support group aiding Mr Villalaz says the 42-year-old welder has been living in the United States for almost 20 years and is a US citizen, originally from Peru.
Darryl Morin, president of Forward Latino advocacy network, told CNN Mr Villalaz’s condition is commendable.
“He’s doing okay,” Mr Morin told the cable network.
"He's in relatively good spirits understanding how bad things could have been. (His wife and two children) weren't able to understand how somebody could do this to a person without knowing them."
A gofundme page has been established to assist Mr Villalaz and his family with his medical bills. Source: Twitter/LatinxSocUS
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has taken a strong stance on the matter, saying there is little doubt the incident was a hate crime.
"To single out someone because they're from a Hispanic origin is simply wrong," he said.
The Mayor also drew parallels between the attacker’s language and comments made by the US president when it comes to immigrants.
"My concern is that more and more people feel that because the President is saying is that this is okay. It's not okay, it's horrible," he said.
"We know what's happening. Everybody knows what's happening. It's because the president is talking about it on a daily basis that people feel that they have license to go after Hispanic people, and it's wrong."
