AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced Tuesday he has filed a civil rights complaint against a 65-year-old Lewiston woman.
The complaint was filed under the Maine Civil Rights Act against Andrea Ouellette in response to her allegedly assaulting a Black man last year and verbally attacking a Black woman in January, according to a news release from Frey's office.
In November, Ouellette reportedly confronted a 31-year-old man while he was speaking to his neighbor outside, the release stated.
"Ouellette called the victim a racial epithet and assaulted him by throwing a pumpkin at his head," Frey's office said. "After the assault, Ouellette yelled at the victim, 'Go back to your own country!'"
As a result, the complaint states the victim suffered a broken tooth, a broken nose, and a swollen face. He required surgery following the assault.
In January, Ouellette then apparently confronted a 48-year-old Black woman when the woman parked her car near Ouellette's home.
"Ouellette began yelling that she could not park there, and approached the second victim with a knife, screaming racial epithets and telling her to 'go back to your country or I will [expletive] kill you!'" the release stated.
Lewiston police investigated both incidents and criminal charges are pending, according to the release, though the specifics about the cases and the charges were not included. NEWS CENTER Maine has reached out to the Lewiston Police Department for more information.
Frey's complaint against Ouellette requests a civil injunction, which would prohibit her from having any type of contact with the two victims and their families. The complaint also prohibits Ouellette from violating the Maine Civil Rights Act in the future, according to the release.
"Maine should be a place where everyone, no matter what race, feels safe to live and thrive," Frey said in the news release. "I will use the Maine Civil Rights Act to its fullest extent to stop racist threats and violence."
A violation under the Civil Rights Act is considered a Class D crime and can be punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.