Man convicted in racist 2019 acid assault in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A jury has convicted a white Milwaukee man who was accused of throwing acid on a Latino man’s face during a racist assault in 2019.

Clifton Blackwell, 64, was discovered guilty Thursday of first-degree reckless harm, with a harmful weapon, as a hate crime. He faces up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing May 18.

The jury rejected Blackwell’s argument that he acted in self-defense after arguing with Mahud Villalaz over street parking in November 2019 in Milwaukee. He accused Villalaz, who suffered second-degree burns, of being in the nation illegally and invading the USA.

Blackwell was ready for a bus when he instructed Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus cease zone exterior a restaurant, prosecutors mentioned. The two could possibly be seen on surveillance video, however not heard, and Blackwell could be seen retrieving an aluminum bottle from his satchel.

Villalaz moved his truck to another parking spot and headed again towards the restaurant. The two argued once more and Blackwell splashed the contents of the bottle, which was acidic drain cleaner, in Villalaz’s face.

Villalaz, 43, testified in the course of the trial that his imaginative and prescient in his left eye has been permanently affected.

Blackwell mentioned he carried the drain cleaner for self-defense at evening as a result of he’s disabled, and had been attacked on the streets earlier than. He said he was scared when Villalaz received so indignant, and splashed the liquid just as Villalaz made a fist and appeared to be about to strike him, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Villalaz is a U.S. citizen who immigrated from Peru. He testified he was offended at Blackwell for telling him he “invaded” his country and may “go back,” but didn’t need to harm anybody.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the verdict.