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 responsible Thursday of first-degree reckless damage, 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 in the country illegally and invading the United States.

Blackwell was ready for a bus when he informed Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus cease zone outside a restaurant, prosecutors mentioned. The two could be seen on surveillance video, but not heard, and Blackwell could possibly be seen retrieving an aluminum bottle from his satchel.

Villalaz moved his truck to another parking spot and headed back toward the restaurant. The 2 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 evening because he’s disabled, and had been attacked on the streets before. He stated he was scared when Villalaz obtained so angry, 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 indignant at Blackwell for telling him he “invaded” his country and may “go back,” however didn’t need to damage anybody.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the verdict.