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 attack 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 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 nation illegally and invading the United States.

Blackwell was waiting for a bus when he told Villalaz that he had parked his truck illegally in a bus stop zone exterior a restaurant, prosecutors stated. The two could possibly 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 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 throughout the trial that his imaginative and prescient in his left eye has been completely affected.

Blackwell said he carried the drain cleaner for self-defense at evening because he’s disabled, and had been attacked on the streets earlier than. He mentioned he was scared when Villalaz bought 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 offended at Blackwell for telling him he “invaded” his country and will “go back,” but didn’t wish to damage anybody.

Blackwell was taken into custody after the verdict.