Blackwell was booked in the Milwaukee County jail with a $10,000 bail bond in connection with the battery acid attack of Muhad Villalaz on November 1st in Milwaukee's Southside.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
November 5, 2019
Milwaukee, WI - On Tuesday, Clifton A. Blackwell, 61, was booked in the Milwaukee County Jail, while charges are pending for one felony count of aggravated battery with a hate crime enhancer in connection with the November 1st battery acid attack of Muhad Villalaz, 42, and a bail bond was set for Blackwell at $10,000, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department. The Villalaz family confirmed on Tuesday that Blackwell will be charged by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office with a felony hate crime and aggravated battery charge for the acid dousing of Muhad while making racially motivated verbal abuse. If convicted on the pending charges, Blackwell will be facing 5 years in prison and $10,000 in fines for the hate crime and 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines for the aggravated battery charge.
On Friday, Villalaz was hospitalized after he was attacked before 8:30 p.m. with battery acid during a verbal dispute with Blackwell at the 2600 block of S. 13th Street in the Southside of Milwaukee, according to Milwaukee police.
On Friday, Villalaz was hospitalized after he was attacked before 8:30 p.m. with battery acid during a verbal dispute with Blackwell at the 2600 block of S. 13th Street in the Southside of Milwaukee, according to Milwaukee police.
Villalaz had just arrived at the Taqueria La Sierrita restaurant located at S. 13 and W. Cleveland when he encountered Blackwell and got into a verbal dispute over a parking spot near a bus route 19 stop before the suspect threw the battery acid at Villalaz, after telling him to go back to his country including using other verbal racial slurs and then fled on foot.
Blackwell and Villalaz's verbal dispute including Blackwell dousing Villalaz with the acid was recorded by an outdoor video surveillance camera from the restaurant and the video footage taken by police. Blackwell was taken into custody by police on Saturday.
Blackwell is a U.S. military Veteran and served in the U.S. Marines, which his family says suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
In 2006, Blackwell was charged and later in 2011, he was convicted for a felony charge in Rusk County for false imprisonment and a misdemeanor for pointing a weapon at an individual. He served 379 days in jail as time served, according to court records.
In 2006, Blackwell was charged and later in 2011, he was convicted for a felony charge in Rusk County for false imprisonment and a misdemeanor for pointing a weapon at an individual. He served 379 days in jail as time served, according to court records.
Currently, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office is reviewing Blackwell's pending charges and is expected to include a hate crime enhancer, according to the Villalaz family.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett condemned Blackwell's acid attack on Villalaz and blamed Trump's anti-immigrant and hate rhetoric including his attempt to divide the country. Blackwell is a Trump supporter, according to a woman that operates a local business, which Blackwell used to frequent and is considered a racist like Trump himself.
Also, local public elected officials including U.S. Congresswoman Gwendolyn Moore (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milw.), Milwaukee Alderman José G. Pérez and Forward Latino leaders Darryl Morin and Eilleen Figueroa de Lopez, Wisconsin LULAC State Director Lupe Martinez and Domingo Garcia, the National LULAC President are calling for Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to charge Blackwell with a hate crime for making racial verbal attacks at Villalaz who is originally from Peru, but is a U.S. Citizen. According to Villalaz, Blackwell called him an "illegal", other racial slurs and told him that he should go back to his country.
Also, local public elected officials including U.S. Congresswoman Gwendolyn Moore (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milw.), Wisconsin State Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milw.), Milwaukee Alderman José G. Pérez and Forward Latino leaders Darryl Morin and Eilleen Figueroa de Lopez, Wisconsin LULAC State Director Lupe Martinez and Domingo Garcia, the National LULAC President are calling for Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to charge Blackwell with a hate crime for making racial verbal attacks at Villalaz who is originally from Peru, but is a U.S. Citizen. According to Villalaz, Blackwell called him an "illegal", other racial slurs and told him that he should go back to his country.
So far, none of the Wisconsin Latino MAGAs (Make America Great Again/Keep America Great) who are local Trump supporters that created a Latino MAGA Facebook page to promote hate and Nazi propaganda to target Latinos in the Hispanic community and to also raise campaign donations for Trump in the state, including Republican State legislators in control of the legislature have not come forward publicly to condemn the racially motivated acid attack of Villalaz by Blackwell.
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