A Texas woman is charged with attempted murder after police allege she attempted to drown a 3-year-old Muslim girl in a swimming pool while making racist statements. Police have recommended that the incident be considered a hate crime by prosecutors.
The incident occurred on May 19 at an apartment complex in Euless, Texas. Police responded to the complex after a report of a disturbance between two women.
Witnesses told police that a woman who appeared to be intoxicated woman had tried to drown a young child, the department said in a release. The suspect, Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was arrested by police at the scene.
The mother of the child told police that Wolf had asked her where she was from and questioned her about her two children, who were playing at the pool, according to the release. The mother then said Wolf grabbed at her 6-year-old son, though he was able to pull away, police alleged.
As the unidentified mother attempted to help her son, Wolf allegedly grabbed the mother’s 3-year-old daughter and forced her underwater, police said.
“The mother of the two children stated that Wolf made statements about her not being an American and other racial statements,” police said in the release.
Wolf was charged with attempted capital murder and injury to a child.
A spokesperson for the Euless Police Department tells PEOPLE that the charges have been sent to the Tarrant County District Attorney, and that the department recommended that the charges be considered a hate crime due to the alleged use of racist language.
