Washington, Mar 1 (PTI):  A 35-year-old man has been arrested in the US for an 'anti-Muslim' attack in which he allegedly bit the victim's face and hurled racial slurs.

Robin McGreer approached a 31-year-old man at a shopping mall parking lot in McLean, Virginia, and started a conversation following which he threatened the man using anti-Muslim slurs, police said.

An altercation ensued and McGreer bit the man's face, leaving him with a "significant face wound", police said of the November 27 incident. McGreer left the scene before police arrived.

The confrontation occurred late last year, but the suspected attacker was arrested on Monday, after a lengthy investigation, according to Fairfax County police officials.

McGreer has been charged with bias-related malicious bodily injury, officials were quoted as saying by The Huffington Post.

The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

The victim, who has not been identified by police, said the racist language was anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic in nature. It was unclear if the victim was a Muslim.

Police spokeswoman Megan Hawkins was quoted as saying that the delay between the incident and arrest was because of a thorough investigation.

Hate crimes are on a chilling upward trajectory in the US, particularly since the presidential election.
Last week, an Indian was killed while his friend was injured in an apparent hatecrime.

32-year-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was working at GPS-maker Garmin headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, was killed after he was shot by a navy veteran.

Kuchibhotla's Indian colleague Alok Madasani was injured when the 51-year-old shooter opened fire on them yelling "get out of my country". A third person, an American who tried to intervene, was also injured in the incident.