Virginia hate crime: 13-year-old girl in headscarf called 'terrorist', attacked 'because of her religious attire'

In a shocking incident, a 13-year-old girl, wearing headscarf, was attacked in the US state of Virginia by a stranger on April 6.

According to the police officials, they believed the girl was targeted "because of her religious attire", Washington Post reported.

The incident happened on April 6 while the teenager was walking in the Woodbridge area. She was confronted by a stranger who swore at her and seized her arm.

According to police, the girl reported that the man tried to place her arm behind her back and then placed a small knife against her arms while calling her a "terrorist".

The man then removed the girl's headscarf and placed a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. He fled after a motorist came by and saw what was happening, police said.