A 14-year-old boy allegedly used a fire extinguisher to spray two older Jewish men dressed in traditional Hasidic clothing.
The teenager is accused of committing the anti-Semitic attacks minutes apart on August 21. The two men were on their way to a prayer service in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, police said.
In the first incident, a group of people approached a 72-year-old man just south of the Williamsburg Bridge approach in the Brooklyn side, near Lee Avenue and Taylor Street. One person in the group sprayed the man with the fire extinguisher shortly after 6am, cops said.
Then the group quickly moved to the north side of the bridge approach and allegedly sprayed a 66-year-old man with the extinguisher at the intersection of Roebling and Third streets, police said. The victim was also punched in the face.
The teen’s arrest was announced on Monday.
‘It’s believed these victims were targeted because they are Jewish. No one deserves to be the victim of such senseless, hateful violence. No one,’ stated New York Police Department Commissioner Keechan Sewell.
‘I’m thankful to report that the victims in these series of attacks are now recovering.’
The teen was charged with assault as a hate crime, aggravated harassment and assault. He has not been identified due to his age. It was not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer.
Hate crimes have risen more than 100% this year over the previous year, according to Sewell. Arrests in Jewish communities have jumped 45%, she added.
Rabbi Sam Stern said that many in the Jewish community live in fear.
‘In a couple of days, the school year is going to start. Thirty-thousand kids are going to flood these streets, and we’re terrified,’ Stern told NBC New York.
Anyone with information on the recent attack is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers.
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