A Modesto man was arrested and charged with a hate crime after reportedly punching a 69-year-old woman in a wheelchair in the face and saying he hated white people.

At 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, Modesto police were called to the 1600 block of Coffee Road for a report of an assault.

Officers found the woman in a motorized wheelchair near a bus stop with a black eye and minor lacerations to her face. Her glasses had been broken.

The woman told police she had been waiting for a Modesto Area Express bus when she was approached by Nicholas Velasquez, 29, of Modesto.

Police said Velasquez then punched her in the face with a closed fist without provocation.

Police said he walked away and said, "I hate white people."

The woman requested to continue on her way after being treated at the scene.

Police conducted a search and found Velasquez on Scenic Drive near Coffee Road. He was arrested without incident and booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on one count of elder abuse and one count of a hate crime.