Mom and daughter brawl and spew racial slurs at motorist during fight over parking spot
Andreea Dumitru, 45, and her daughter Sabrina Starman, 21, were arrested for assault following an aggressive brawl in Ridgewood, Queens on Monday.
Starman was allegedly seen launching an attack onto 21-year-old Jada McPherson, a Pace University student who had parked in the spot, by gripping her by her hair and unloading punches onto her.
'They were trying to literally rip my hair out of my scalp,' McPherson told the New York Post.
McPherson had attempted to park in a spot that the mother-daughter duo, as well as a third unidentified man, were guarding, police said.
'The guy, he ended up coming up behind me while I was trying to park and put a trash can to prevent me from parking,' McPherson said.
She circled the block but, after she was unable to find another spot, McPherson came back to confront the trio for trying to reserve the parking spot.
That's when the three allegedly began hurling racial slurs at the university student.
'I'm not going to lie. I called her an immigrant, but she called me a slave and she called me a monkey,' McPherson said.
Video footage of the altercation caught the beatdown and vulgar slurs.
Dumitru appeared to be heard shouting to McPherson, 'You're a monkey, b***.' While her daughter, Starman, was heard yelling, 'You're a f***ing slave b***. You're a slave for what i's worth.'
The 21-year-old then allegedly launched her attack onto McPherson, pulling at her hair while the other two joined in on the beating.
'I couldn't tell that I was getting hit in the head and everything, I was just trying to defend myself at the time,' McPherson told ABC 7.
Punches were thrown while McPherson was pulled around by her hair before Starman allegedly pulled a piece out of her head.
The third man was held back at one point by an onlooker.
Neighbors said the trio are a family who have caused issues trying to 'reserve' parking spots for years, the outlet reported.
'It's not worth fighting, but across the street with the garbage cans, they're trying to hold the spot, and he sits there monitoring it and that's what happened,' one local told ABC 7.
'I heard voices and looked out the window and saw arms flying,' another recalled.
'If you're coming home at rush hour, it can take up to an hour to find parking.'
'You know, I could move the garbage cans and park, but then they could slash my car or something,' said 33-year-old Yesenia Delgado who has lived in the area for 14 years, the NYP reported.
'Someone is always there, holding the spot,' George Carrasquillo, 53, told the outlet.
Carrasquillo ends up parking two blocks from his home after often being unable to find a spot.
'I have to take my kick scooter with me to drop the car off, I find parking, then come home to my apartment, and have to see all this, their beautiful spot saved. Isn't this public parking?' he said.
Starman and Dumitru were later arrested and charged with first-degree assault and second-degree harassment, police said.
While McPherson was able to park in the spot she had fought for following their arrests, she said she had been anxious ever since the beatdown.
She told the outlet she had only left her home with a friend or family member, and plans to move out of the neighborhood this weekend.
'Jumping one person for a parking space is really not right,' McPherson added.
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