Victim of NYC racist boot fire attack tells News she needed to stand up to social media trolls
Share this @internewscast.com

A woman whose footwear was set ablaze by a pair of bloggers known for their support of MAGA expressed to the News that she felt sexually violated during an encounter that escalated into racial hostility in Manhattan. She emphasized that apprehending these individuals could prevent another person from enduring the distress she continues to face.

“They just approached me out of the blue,” recounted the 54-year-old social worker about the February 19 incident. “Complete strangers walked up to me and said, ‘You’re beautiful, can I kiss you?’

I responded with, ‘No.’

One of them then remarked, ‘If you were my slave, I could kiss you,’ and that’s when it all began.”

Still celebrating her birthday from the previous day, the woman, 54, was in Chelsea picking up a cake when she encountered these individuals. One of them sported a red “Make America Great Again” hat at the intersection of W. 26th St. and Seventh Ave. She has chosen not to disclose her full name.

According to police, Michael Santiago, 31, and Michael James, 33, verbally attacked the Black woman with racist slurs, which were captured on video and shared online.

“I want to f— you right up your n—– a–,” the man in the MAGA hat screamed. “I want to f— a slave. You’re my slave. You’re my slave.”

Michael James, left, and Michael Santiago are pictured in police custody.

Barry Williams/ New York Daily News

Michael James, left, and Michael Santiago are pictured in police custody outside the NYPD Midtown South Precinct station house on Thursday Feb. 26, 2026 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

At one point, one of the provocateurs asked to kiss the victim’s pair of boots. Instead, she said, he knelt down and set one of her boots on fire with a hand-held blowtorch.

The hair on the boots were singed but the flames quickly petered out, a video of the incident shows. Cops say the $89 pair of boots were ruined.

Both men were arrested almost a week later and charged with attempted assault, criminal mischief and menacing, all as hate crimes, as well as aggravated harassment, arson and criminal tampering.

The two suspects live in the same apartment building on the Upper East Side, according to cops.

The social worker said she is still traumatized by the afternoon attack.

“I was shocked. I was very shocked,” she said. “I never heard these words before. No one has ever called me a slave, ever. I’m a very honorable woman. I went to college. At the end of the day, men don’t talk to me like that. These men, telling me to suck their d—-, calling me a slave, calling me a bitch, all of these things,. I’m over a certain age. I’m 54. At my age, I don’t have encounters like that.”

Michael James is pictured in police custody leaving the NYPD's Midtown South Precinct stationhouse on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

Barry Williams/ New York Daily News

Michael James is pictured in police custody leaving the NYPD’s Midtown South Precinct stationhouse on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

If she hadn’t stood up to them, she said, things could have escalated with some other woman.

“If they had not tried to kiss me, if they had not tried to set me on fire, this wouldn’t have ended where it did,” she said. “The problem wasn’t that they were racially derogatory. The problem is they were physically assaultive. They invaded my space sexually. They were 360 degrees of wrong.”

The charges against Santiago and James are being prosecuted as hate crimes, officials said.

The woman, who also took video of them, said she felt compelled to stand up to them.

“One of the reasons I chose to step forward is because I am an older woman,” she said. “What if a 19-year-old woman had to go through this. She doesn’t have the same life experience as me. They didn’t start off burning people. They started trolling and doing things. But this time they burned somebody, so what comes next? How much more are we going to allow them to do.”

The internet trolls livestream videos of themselves appearing to harass everyday New Yorkers, provoking outrage, and often finding themselves being thrown out of apartment buildings, bodegas and other establishments.

For both suspects, the Thursday arrests were their first run-in with the law, cops said.

Michael Santiago is pictured in police custody leaving the NYPD's Midtown South Precinct stationhouse on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
Michael Santiago is pictured in police custody leaving the NYPD’s Midtown South Precinct stationhouse on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)

The duo has about 1,670 subscribers on YouTube, 1,400 followers on Kick and just 295 followers on Instagram.

Despite the hate speech, the social worker said the incident is beyond racial or political for her.

“The Republicans are all saying he’s a Democrat,” she said. “I’m not into that. I believe in families, I believe families should be able to walk down any block in New York City and be OK.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
9 people injured in mass shooting at Riverfront Live in Cincinnati

Breaking News: Cincinnati’s Riverfront Live Mass Shooting Leaves 9 Injured – Latest Updates and Investigation Details

A mass shooting at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Live music venue left nine people…
Ilhan Omar snaps back at 'drunk' Nancy Mace for suggesting she is mourning Khamenei's death

Ilhan Omar Claps Back at Nancy Mace’s Controversial Claim Over Khamenei Remarks

Both individuals found themselves embroiled in controversy. On Sunday, Democratic Representative Ilhan…
Cops bust boyfriend accused of hacking NYC mom to death, stabbing her son

Boyfriend Arrested for Allegedly Murdering NYC Mother and Assaulting Her Son

In a tragic incident in the Bronx, police apprehended a man on…
Villanova’s Kevin Willard shares gratitude for Rick Pitino after ‘fear for your life’ comments go viral

Villanova’s Kevin Willard Expresses Appreciation for Rick Pitino Following Viral ‘Fear for Your Life’ Remarks

The college basketball community was eager to see how St. John’s would…
FBI investigating 'potential nexus to terrorism' in 6th Street shooting that left two dead, 14 injured | Shooter also killed

FBI Probes Possible Terrorism Connection in 6th Street Shooting: Two Dead, 14 Injured, Including Shooter

Tragedy struck early Sunday morning in Downtown Austin, where a shooting left…
Deadly Austin shooting that killed 3 may be 'act of terrorism,' FBI says

FBI Investigates Austin Shooting That Claimed Three Lives as Possible Terrorism

The FBI has announced that a shooting spree in downtown Austin, Texas,…
70% of Staten Island students skipped school following blizzard because of Mamdani policies

Massive Student Absences in Staten Island Schools Linked to Controversial Mamdani Policies After Blizzard

In the aftermath of one of the most severe snowstorms to hit…
Trump's Iran attack sets off furious debate in Congress on whether war is 'necessary' or 'illegal'

Congress Erupts in Heated Debate Over Legality and Necessity of Trump’s Iran Strike

President Trump’s recent decision to initiate military action against Iran without seeking…
Tomahawks, B-2 stealth bombers and attack drones pound over 1,000 Iranian targets in 24-hour blitz

Massive U.S. Military Offensive Targets Over 1,000 Iranian Sites with Tomahawks, B-2 Bombers, and Drones in 24-Hour Assault

In a significant military maneuver, U.S. forces launched a large-scale assault on…
OC family deny son is a terrorist after chem experiments spark probe

Orange County Family Refutes Terrorism Claims Following Investigation into Son’s Chemical Experiments

An FBI hazardous materials team was dispatched to a home in Orange…
GOP lawmaker asks Intel committee to get 'Squad' Rep Ilhan Omar's immigration records

GOP Lawmaker Demands Intel Committee Review of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Immigration Records Amid Ongoing Controversy

A Republican representative from Tennessee is calling for the release of immigration…
Elijah Hoard missing after being dropped off at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, did not board flight to France, family says

Urgent Search: Elijah Hoard Disappears from Chicago O’Hare Airport, Misses Flight to France

CHICAGO—In an unsettling turn of events, Elijah Hoard has been reported missing…