A man used a street signpost to trash an Asian American owned convenience store in North Carolina

• A man trashed an Asian American-owned store in North Carolina, the Charlotte Observer reported.
• The man, who has since been arrested, allegedly yelled racist remarks at the owners.
• Hate crimes against Asian Americans have been on the rise during the pandemic.

A man used a metal post to trash an Asian American-owned convenience store while yelling racial slurs in Charlotte North Carolina, the Charlotte Observer reported.

The incident occurred on Tuesday near the Charlotte Transit Center. Security footage seen by the Observer shows a man swinging a street signpost into the refrigerators at the Plaza Sundries. The man can also be seen pulling a merchandise rack to the floor.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police did not reply to Insider's request for comment at the time of publication. The Associated Press reported that police said the company that's responsible for security at the transit center arrested Xavier Rashee Woody-Silas in connection to the attack.

Woody-Silas was arrested for robbery with a dangerous weapon, communicating threats, disorderly conduct, injury to personal property, and resisting a public officer.

Mark Sung, whose parents own the shop, told the Observer that a friend of the perpetrator (who can be seen in surveillance footage cheering on the attacker) returned after the man was arrested and cat-called his mother.

The owners had closed the store to clean up and the friend was outside making sexual motions towards Sung's mother. He also returned a few days later to harass his parents, Sung told the Observer.

"(He's) making these sexual poses again and telling her to do these sexual acts and she's just furious but doesn't know what to do," Sung said.

Reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased dramatically in the past year. Last week, a 65-year-old Asian woman was yelled at and assaulted while on her way to church Monday morning in New York City.