PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia woman accused of imprisoning four mentally disabled adults in her basement could face federal hate crime charges, prosecutors said.
Linda Weston and three others are charged with kidnapping and other offenses. Police said they think she was keeping the vulnerable adults captive to steal their Social Security benefits.
District Attorney Seth Williams said Weston may be charged under a hate-crimes law aimed at those who target the disabled, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expanded hate-crimes law to include victims' sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
Mark Kappelhoff, chief of the criminal section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said it would be the first time anyone in the country was charged under the law's provision for crimes against the disabled, the newspaper said.
