Members of the Filipino-American family attacked in North Hollywood last year renewed their calls for justice as they mark the first anniversary since the incident believed to be racially motivated.
Nerissa and Patricia Roque were verbally threatened on May 12, 2022 at a fast food drive-thru by Nicholas Weber, after he rear-ended their vehicle with his car.
The incident eventually escalated into a physical assault when Gabriel Roque arrived on the scene.
A year later, the family and their supporters returned to the same fast food restaurant to hold a small rally.
Patricia Roque shared how they tried to stay away from the place since the incident due to the trauma they experienced.
"But as time went on, we wanted to heal," she said. "I think it’s been easier but it’s still hard. When you live near this place, we always have to relive the trauma."
The preliminary hearings on Weber's case wrapped up in April.
Roque family recounts anti-Asian hate attack during three-day pretrial
Despite footage of him making anti-Asian remarks, a judge ruled that the sequence of events did not show that the physical attack was bias-motivated.
The hate crime enhancements on Weber were also not added to the two felony batter counts he faces.
Hate crime enhancements dropped in Roque family’s Asian hate case
"It’s been a roller coaster ride for everyone," said Ysabel Roque. "Even though we think we got the justice we deserved, we wouldn’t stop here. We would still continue to fight for everyone who’s been going through the same thing."
Weber pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in April. He will return to court on May 26 for a status conference before the jury trial takes place latter in the summer.