A Muslim woman who said she had her hijab nearly ripped off by Donald Trump supporters lied about the attack, police said on Wednesday.
Yasmin Seweid, 18, was charged with falsely reporting an incident and obstructing governmental administration, both of which are misdemeanor offenses.
Seweid, who is studying entrepreneurship and business management at Baruch College, claimed she was waiting for a northbound No. 6 train at 23rd Street on Dec. 1 when three men who appeared to be intoxicated began harassing her. She said the men called her a terrorist, yelled “Donald Trump” in her direction and tried to pull off her hijab during the alleged ordeal.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force investigated the claims. Given the spate of hate crimes attributed to the current political climate, police said they took the case seriously. But after repeated questioning by detectives, Seweid admitted she had fabricated the report, according to a law enforcement source.
On Friday, Seweid’s family reported her as missing after she had last been seen leaving their New Hyde Park home two days prior; she was found on Saturday at the home of a friend. The law enforcement source said that friction between Seweid and her family appears to have been sparked by her dating a young man.
Seweid’s brother, Abdoul Seweid, 22, said the charges weren’t true.
“All I know is she was supposed to see a sketch artist,” at the Seventh Precinct. He added: “I don’t know how it goes from her seeing a sketch artist to her getting locked up.”
Seweid was in police custody on Wednesday, but brought to court around 8 p.m., police said.
With Lauren Cook and Newsday
