Meryl Streep’s nephew Charles Harrison Streep, 31, (pictured) has been charged with attacking a student
The college student who was allegedly attacked by Meryl Streep’s nephew in an East Hampton road rage incident has accused the 31-year-old of racism for allegedly yelling anti-Hispanic slurs while grabbing him by the neck.
David Peralta, 18, was hospitalized with severe head trauma and needed emergency surgery after the altercation with Charles Harrison Streep, 31, in a parking lot outside a Chase bank in the affluent New York town on August 24.
Streep, the son of Meryl’s brother Dana Streep and his wife Mary, was arrested days later and charged with beating and choking the Long Island student.
Peralta is now planning to sue the star’s famous nephew, claiming the attack was an anti-Hispanic hate crime.
An attorney for the 18-year-old told New York Daily News Streep shouted anti-Hispanic slurs at Peralta during the attack and said he is calling for the 31-year-old to face hate crime charges over the incident.
‘We find it exceedingly ironic that Streep, whose family, including his famous aunt, purport to sympathize with the plight of immigrants and working-class people everywhere, would unleash this violent and racially charged attack on this innocent, hardworking young man,’ said Edmond Chakmakian Tuesday.
Chakmakian said Peralta, who was about to start his junior year studying criminal justice at St. John’s University when the alleged attack took place, will suffer permanent cognitive damage from his injuries and can’t recall simple things.
‘He couldn’t even give me his date of birth when I spoke to him the other day,’ said Chakmakian.
Police said Streep attacked Peralta, who lives in Springs, East Hampton, in the Chase Bank parking lot around 11:30 a.m. on August 24.
Streep is the son of Meryl’s (pictured) brother Dana Streep and his wife Mary. David Peralta, 18, who was allegedly attacked by Meryl Streep’s nephew in an East Hampton road rage incident has accused the 31-year-old of racism
Peralta was hospitalized with severe head trauma and needed emergency surgery after the altercation with Streep in a parking lot outside a Chase bank in the affluent New York town on August 24. Pictured the scene of the incident
Peralta was taking a ride with his girlfriend in his new car – a red Ford Mustang – when he had a near miss with Streep’s Audi convertible at the intersection of Main Street and The Circle, according to court papers.
The two men allegedly exchanged words and Streep made a u-turn in his car, following the teen into the parking lot and getting out of his vehicle.
Streep is then accused of ‘striking, grabbing and lifting [the victim] off the ground by the neck with his arms’ and of ‘lifting his limp body off the ground and then throwing him to the ground,’ according to the criminal complaint.
Chakmakian claimed Streep mocked Peralta, saying ‘What are you, 14 years old?’ and ‘spewed racial epithets during the attack.’
Police responded to several 911 calls about the incident but Streep had left the scene before they arrived.
Streep (pictured) was arrested and charged with beating and choking the Long Island student
Peralta is now planning to sue the star’s famous nephew (pictured), claiming it was an anti-Hispanic hate crime after he allegedly shouted anti-Hispanic slurs during the attack
Peralta, whose family is from Ecuador, initially turned down medical attention but was later taken to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital as his condition deteriorated that day.
He suffered a brain bleed which required the removal of his skull cap to stem the bleed and underwent emergency surgery, his lawyer said.
Streep was arrested three days after the attack on August 27 at a home on Pondview Lane in East Hampton.
According to Zillow, the six-bedroom $6.5 million property belongs to Streep’s mother Mary.
Streep was charged in East Hampton Town Court with felony counts of second-degree assault and second-degree strangulation.
He was arraigned and released on $5,000 bail.
Meryl’s nephew, who goes by the name Charlie, had a privileged upbringing, attending New Canaan High School in Connecticut before going to the University of Virginia.
His famous aunt is one of the biggest names in Hollywood and holds the record for the most – 21 -Oscar nominations.