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 attack in 2019.

Clifton Blackwell, 64, was found guilty Thursday of first-degree reckless injury, with a dangerous weapon, as a hate crime. He faces as much as 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 road parking in November 2019 in Milwaukee. He accused Villalaz, who suffered second-degree burns, of being within the country illegally and invading the United States.

Blackwell was waiting for a bus when he advised Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus cease zone outdoors a restaurant, prosecutors stated. The two could be seen on surveillance video, but not heard, and Blackwell might be seen retrieving an aluminum bottle from his satchel.

Villalaz moved his truck to a different parking spot and headed back toward the restaurant. The 2 argued again 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 night time as a result of he’s disabled, and had been attacked on the streets earlier than. He stated he was scared when Villalaz obtained so offended, 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 angry at Blackwell for telling him he “invaded” his country and will “go back,” however didn’t need to hurt anyone.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the verdict.