A 22-year-old West Bloomfield man faces a felony hate crime charge after prosecutors say he wrote an anti-Black racial slur on a Novi couple’s driveway.
Ayham Nadeem Assi, a valet company owner, was charged with one count of hate crime in connection with a Sept. 6 incident, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, as reported by WHMI.
The charge was reported Oct. 16 by CBS Detroit.
Prosecutors said the couple’s neighbor hosted a party and hired Assi’s company to provide parking services. The couple spoke to their neighbors about vehicles parked on their grass.
They later discovered a racial slur written on the apron of their driveway. Investigators said home surveillance footage showed Assi approaching the driveway and appearing to write the slur, according to prosecutors.
The couple, who are Black, told investigators they felt intimidated and racially targeted.
“Everyone has a right to feel safe in their home and welcome in their neighborhood,” Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement reported by WHMI.
Novi police said they were unsure what was used to write the message but believed it might have been a makeup product, The Detroit News reported.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000 or both, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The Detroit News reported Oct. 16 that it was not immediately clear whether Assi had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
