Female Attacker: 'This Is America! Speak English!'

Two white women allegedly attacked a Boston mom and daughter in part because the victims were speaking Spanish, NBC Boston reports. "My daughter and I were attacked, punched, kicked, and bitten by two white women," says the mother, identified only as Ms. Vasquez, 46. "As they beat us, they yelled 'This is America! Speak English!'" Authorities say the accused—Jenny Leigh Ennamorati, 25, and Stephanie Armstrong, 25—had been drinking and thought the two were making fun of them. Surveillance video shows a woman crossing an East Boston street on Feb. 15 and shouting at a woman who seems to be Vasquez, per CNN. They break into a fight and other women get involved until police show up and talk to the two groups.

Police say each blames the other for starting it, but witnesses appear to side with Vasquez. Ennamorati and Armstrong are also the ones charged—with two counts each of violating constitutional rights with bodily injury and two counts of assault and battery charges. Ennamorati got an extra charge of assault and battery with dangerous weapon, for using a shod foot. Police say one of the accused did suffer facial lacerations. A lawyer for Vasquez expressed frustration that the attack wasn't "immediately flagged as a hate crime" and said charges were only filed after a news conference was held about the case, per the New York Times. The Suffolk County DA has since slammed the accused for their "outrageous and reprehensible" behavior. No word yet from the alleged assailants. (More hate crime stories.)