Newsday | July 13, 2001

A HOMELESS MAN told police he attacked a Manhattan mother and kicked the baby stroller containing her year-old daughter into traffic
because the woman is white, authorities said yesterday. Kevin Jordan, 35, who is black, was remanded and ordered to undergo psychiatric testing by Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro after a prosecutor said he attacked Elizabeth Garcia and her daughter, Kelly Rosa, in midtown Wednesday because of Garcia's race.

"The defendant made statements to police that he hit the complainant because she is white," Assistant District Attorney Kavita Gopwani said.

Jordan was charged with second-degree assault, attempted assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a weapon. Police said Jordan approached Garcia, whose husband is an FBI agent, as she was pushing her daughter along First Avenue, near East 47th Street, around 12:30 p.m. He struck Garcia, 41, on the head with a key chain containing eight keys, police said. As Garcia fell to the ground, Jordan kicked the stroller onto First Avenue near the UN, where the carriage tipped over, sending the baby sprawling, police said. Neither the mother nor her child was seriously hurt.

Witnesses flagged down a police car, and officers nabbed Jordan about a block away from the attack. If convicted of the top count, the assault charge, Jordan faces up to 7 years in prison. Police said Jordan had a criminal record and he was wanted on a bench warrant stemming from a drug arrest in Jersey City. After court yesterday, Philip Gainer, Jordan's attorney, said he agreed with the judge's decision. "I have reason to believe a psychiatric evaluation was appropriate," Gainer said.