Milwaukee police have made an arrest after a man was assaulted and burned with acid in what authorities are calling a hate crime.
Mahud Villalaz endured second-degree burns to his face after a man approached him and accused Villalaz of entering the U.S. illegally, ABC 7 reports. A Latino and U.S. citizen, Villalaz says the man confronted him in front of a restaurant on Friday night, told him he didn’t belong here, and threw acid on him.
In surveillance footage, Villalaz can be seen staggering away from the suspect, who the police say is white.
In a statement, Alderman Jose Perez said that the police have classified the incident as a hate crime, which he said is a “heinous” act of “senseless violence.”
Villalaz was cared for at a hospital and released.
In other off-the-wall immigration-related news, smugglers and human traffickers have reportedly found a way to get past Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall. U.S. agents and officials have confirmed multiple breaches to new sections of the long-promised wall. Sources say that smugglers have used saws to cut through the steel and concrete in a matter of minutes. Once the base has been cut, the smugglers are able to push the 18- to 30-feet tall posts to the side, making it possible for people and contraband to go through the structure.
