Thursday, April 28, 2022

64-year-old Clifton A. Blackwell Found Guilty By Jury For The 2019 Hate Crime Chemical Acid Attack Of Muhad Villalaz In The Southside Of Milwaukee

Blackwell was criminally charged in 2019 for splashing battery acid at a 42-year-old Hispanic man outside a Southside Milwaukee Mexican restaurant.

By H. Nelson Goodson 
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

April 28, 2022

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, a Milwaukee Circuit Court County jury found Clifton A. Blackwell, 64, who is White guilty on one felony count of 1st-degree reckless injury with a hate crime enhancer including use of a dangerous weapon in connection with the November 1, 2019 chemical acid attack of Muhad Villalaz who was 42 years of age when the criminal act against him occurred. Blackwell is now facing up to 25 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.

A sentencing hearing is set for Blackwell for May 18, 2022, according to court records.

Blackwell had claimed during trial that he doused Villalaz with a chemical acid in self-defense when Villalaz allegedly attempted to strike him. He admitted of carrying a container with chemical acid for self-defense. 

Villalaz claimed that he did flinched at Blackwell because he was being verbally targeted with racial slurs by Blackwell, but never intended to strike him.

Villalaz is originally from Peru and became a U.S. Citizen. According to Villalaz, Blackwell called him an "illegal", including other racial slurs and told him that he should go back to his country.

Villalaz in November 2019 was hospitalized after he was attacked by Blackwell with the chemical acid during a verbal dispute at the 2600 block of  S. 13th Street in the Southside of Milwaukee, according to the criminal complaint. 

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 chemical 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 chemical acid was recorded by an outdoor video surveillance camera from the restaurant. Blackwell was taken into custody by police shortly after the incident.

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 convicted for a felony charge in Rusk County for pointing a weapon at an individual. 

Blackwell is a Trump supporter, according to a woman that operates a local business, which Blackwell used to frequent and is considered a racist just like Trump himself.

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