Man sentenced to 25 years for hate crime, stabbing hiker in Perinton in June 2025 ...Middle East

PERINTON, N.Y. — The man found guilty of stabbing a hiker in Perinton last June will serve 25 years behind bars, the maximum sentence for his charges.

Derrick Van Epps, 31, was sentenced on Friday. After his prison time, he’ll serve five years of post-release supervision.

“Today’s sentence ensures that Derrick Van Epps will spend decades in prison for a vicious, hate-fueled attack that forever changed the life of an innocent young man,” said Special Assistant District Attorney Stephen Ryck.

What happened

Last June, Dylan Ghaemi was hiking on the Indian Hill Trail in Perinton when Van Epps attacked him with a knife. News10NBC Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean spoke with Ghaemi after the attack.

READ MORE: ‘He tried to get me across the neck’: Victim speaks out after random knife attack on Perinton hiking trail

“He tried to get me across the neck with full intention of taking my life,” Ghaemi said.

The attack happened in June 23, 2025 in a clearing at the top of the trail. Ghaemi,who has walked the trail more than 100 times, described the terrifying moment when he saw the attacker with a knife in his peripheral vision.

It happened when the two passed each other passed and Van Epps turned around and violently stabbed Ghaemi from behind, knocked him to the ground and continued to stab him with a knife. Ghaemi fought him off and escaped, running through the trail to a neighboring house. That’s where the 911 call was made.

Van Epps was arrested after a town security employee spotted him driving into a nearby park.

Ghaemi mentioned he didn’t know the attacker and had never met him before. Back then, the attack wasn’t classified a hate crime, but it was under consideration.

The case goes to court

In July 2025, Van Epps was arraigned on attempted murder and hate crime charges. During an interview with the sheriff’s office, Van Epps confirmed he took a minute to confirm Ghaemi wasn’t white before he pulled the knife out.

He pleaded not guilty.

READ MORE: Palmyra man arraigned on hate crime charges after being accused of attacking man in Perinton

Deputies told us they saw Van Epps driving away from the scene when they got there. Perinton Park Security saw him driving east on Pittsford Palmyra Road and turn into Egypt Park.

The D.A.’s office and the grand jury believed Van Epps attacked Ghaemi because of his race, skin color and national origin and that Van Epps singled the victim out because of those factors.

A red notebook had numbers 14 and 83 written on the inside cover. Deputy William Connell, assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, testified that through his investigatory experience, the number 14 is a common numeral in white supremacist circles. The number 83 is also used by members of white supremacist groups and individuals who harbor those sentiments.

In May 2026, a jury decided Van Epps was guilty of all charges. It reached a verdict within a few hours.

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Man sentenced to 25 years for hate crime, stabbing hiker in Perinton in June 2025 WHEC.com.

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