Man convicted in racist 2019 acid attack 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 responsible Thursday of first-degree reckless harm, with a harmful weapon, as a hate crime. He faces as much as 20 years in prison at his sentencing Might 18.

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

Blackwell was waiting for a bus when he instructed Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus stop zone outdoors a restaurant, prosecutors said. The 2 could possibly be seen on surveillance video, however not heard, and Blackwell may very well 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 through the trial that his imaginative and prescient in his left eye has been permanently affected.

Blackwell said he carried the drain cleaner for self-defense at night time as a result of he’s disabled, and had been attacked on the streets earlier than. He mentioned he was scared when Villalaz got so offended, and splashed the liquid simply as Villalaz made a fist and seemed 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 will “go back,” but didn’t need to hurt anybody.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the decision.