Newark Man Charged with Hate Crime in Assault on Elderly Black Neighbor

Brandon Watt, 39, faces charges including a hate crime after prosecutors allege he targeted his elderly Black neighbor.

3 reports on this incident · first at Sep 4, 2026, 4:12 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Sep 4, 2026, 3:28 a.m. ETUpdated Sep 6, 2026, 3:22 a.m. ET

Brandon Watt, 39, of Newark, New York, has been with a hate crime and second-degree assault in connection with the alleged assault of his elderly Black neighbor, according to reports from theboxhouston.com, fingerlakes1.com, 92q.com, and ipowerrichmond.com. The charges were reported on September 4, 2026. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved; Watt has not been convicted. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison, as reported by theboxhouston.com, 92q.com, and ipowerrichmond.com. The government claims Watt repeatedly targeted his elderly Black neighbor with racial slurs and threats before beating him with a two-by-four, according to ipowerrichmond.com and theboxhouston.com. Fingerlakes1.com reported that The victim, a 70-year-old Black man, was not identified in the reports. Watt is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Further details on the case were not provided in the reports.

Earlier reports

Sep 5, 2026, 7:24 p.m. ET
Newark Man Charged with Hate Crime in Assault on Elderly Neighbor
Brandon Watt, 39, of Newark, New York, has been charged with a hate crime and other offenses in connection with the assault of his elderly Black neighbor, according to reports from theboxhouston.com, fingerlakes1.com, and ipowerrichmond.com. The charges are only allegations; Watt has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Watt was charged after the government alleged he repeatedly targeted the 70-year-old neighbor with racial slurs and threats before beating him with a two-by-four, as reported by ipowerrichmond.com and theboxhouston.com. Fingerlakes1.com reported the government's claim as using racial slurs before striking the victim from behind with a piece of lumber.
The charges include second-degree assault and second-degree assault as a hate crime, with a statutory maximum of up to 15 years in prison, according to theboxhouston.com and ipowerrichmond.com. The case is at the charging stage, and no court has decided whether Watt is guilty.
Sep 4, 2026, 4:12 a.m. ETFirst report
Newark Man Charged with Hate Crime in Assault on Neighbor
Brandon Watt, 39, of Newark, has been charged with a hate crime and second-degree assault, according to FingerLakes1.com. The charges stem from an alleged incident in which Watt used racial slurs before striking White from behind with a piece of lumber, the government claims.
The charges are allegations, and Watt is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is at the charging stage, and no trial date has been set. The matter remains undecided and has not been resolved.

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Revision history

Version 26 Sept 2026, 07:22current
Added 92q.com as a source for charges and statutory maximum; clarified that the case is at charging stage and Watt is presumed innocent.
Version 15 Sept 2026, 22:52
First published.
Version 14 Sept 2026, 08:12current
First published.
Version 15 Sept 2026, 23:24current
First published.

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