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 throughout a racist attack in 2019.

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

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

Blackwell was waiting for a bus when he informed Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus stop zone outside a restaurant, prosecutors mentioned. The two might be seen on surveillance video, however not heard, and Blackwell might be seen retrieving an aluminum bottle from his satchel.

Villalaz moved his truck to another parking spot and headed back toward 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 during the trial that his imaginative and prescient in his left eye has been completely affected.

Blackwell said 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 mentioned he was scared when Villalaz received so angry, and splashed the liquid simply 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 nation and will “return,” but didn’t need to harm anyone.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the decision.