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Lyft passenger charged with hate crime accused of jumping bail - Chron.com

A Lyft passenger accused of a hate crime in July is on the run after missing court.

Matthew W. Dunn, 39, was free on $5,000 bail after being arrested on an assault charge, accused of attacking a Lyft driver on July 21 because of the driver's heritage, which is a hate crime, according to court records.

Dunn missed court last month prompting prosecutors to ask that his bail be revoked.

"Mr. Dunn needs to turn himself in and make this right," Assistant Harris County District Attorney Nathan Beedle said Wednesday. "We believe he is still in the Houston area."

Beedle, who is chief of the DA's misdemeanor division, said Dunn faces a minimum of 180 days in jail if convicted of assault and an affirmative finding of the hate crime enhancement.

The hate-crime enhancement is an increased punishment, if Dunn is convicted of assaulting an American-born Lyft driver of Pakistani descent, specifically over the driver's race religion or national origin.

The driver picked up Dunn outside a pool hall in southwest Houston just after 2 a.m. on July 21.
During the ride, Dunn is accused of shouting obscenities at the driver, based on his perception that the driver was Muslim and from Pakistan.

Allegedly, he then grabbed the driver's hair and began punching and choking him, as the driver near the 13500 block of the Northwest Freeway.

The driver stopped the car, got out and ran with Dunn chasing him. The driver was able to get back to his car and drive away, with Dunn apparently chasing the car.

The driver called the Houston Police Department and said he believed Dunn would have killed him if he hadn't escaped.

About 15 minutes later, Houston police officers were flagged down at a nearby motel, where the security guard told officers he had been approached by a man who authorities believe was Dunn.

He said Dunn had put him in a headlock and was speaking incoherently.

Dunn was later arrested and made bail. A warrant has been issued of his arrest after missing a court date in October.

He has two prior criminal convictions in Harris County. He pleaded guilty in February to the felony charge of possession of less than one gram of a controlled substancs. In 2012, he was convicted of assault causing bodily injury.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information that could lead to his whereabouts. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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