Hate crime suspect faces judge

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A woman accused of a hate crime in Buffalo faced a judge. We're also learning more about how police arrested the defendant.

Suzanne Deanna Grover tried to hide her face from the cameras as she went into a city courtroom. The 21-year-old from Tonawanda is accused of the New Year's Eve slashing of Lindsay Harmon, who also came to court to see her alleged attacker.

Her father, Michael Harmon, said, "I'm just concerned about her health, that's the only thing I'm concerned about."

Harmon says his daughter's road to recovery will be a long one.

"She's progressing. Every time we go to the doctor she's a little bit healthier in her eye, but it's gonna be a long time and some more surgery," said Harmon.

Meanwhile Suzanne Deanna Grover remains in jail. The district attorney tells News 4 that Grover had recently moved to Florida and that's where she was right before her arrest. She was picked up last week following a murder trial in which she testified in. Back in April, her boyfriend, 31-year-old Steven Northrup was shot several times in Riverside, while Grover watched.

17-year-old Jerome Thagard was convicted Monday night. Just hours after she testified in that case, she was arrested for the New Year's Eve stabbing. Authorities are calling it a hate crime, but it will be up to a grand jury to decide whether or not the crime was motivated by bias toward Lindsay because she is gay.

Suzanne Grover wanted to obtain her own attorney so the felony hearing was waived until February 8th. She remains locked up downtown.