An antisemitic brute who pummeled a Jewish man and stole his yarmulke on board a Brooklyn train in a vicious hate crime Tuesday morning remains at large, police reported.
NYPD
An antisemitic brute who pummeled a Jewish man and stole his yarmulke on board a Brooklyn train in a vicious hate crime Tuesday morning remains at large, police reported.
According to police sources, the hate-fueled, unprovoked assault unfolded at around 10:45 a.m. on March 3 on a Coney Island-bound N train at the Atlantic Avenue subway station.
Cops say the victim, a 54-year-old man, was riding the train when the bigot approached him. Police said the suspect abruptly went on the attack, repeatedly punching the man across the face and body while spewing antisemitic remarks.
The brute then grabbed the yarmulke off the victim’s head and fled on a Manhattan-bound N train. He was last seen at the Canal Street subway station.
The incident was reported to the 84th Precinct and NYPD Transit District 32. EMS rushed the victim to SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
Authorities report that the two men had never met or interacted prior to the attack. The incident is now being investigated as a hate crime by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force.
The NYPD reported 38 hate crimes during February; 21 of them involved victims who were Jewish.
amNewYork reached out to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office for comment on the incident.
In response, Phylisa Wisdom, whom Mamdani appointed as the executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said in a statement that the office is in contact with the NYPD about the attack.
“No one should be targeted for wearing a yarmulke — or for expressing their faith in any way,” Wisdom said. “The Mamdani administration is committed to confronting antisemitism head-on and building a New York where every person can live their beliefs openly and safely.”
Cops said the suspect was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, khaki pants, black jacket, a surgical facemask, black shoes, and carrying an orange bookbag.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or the suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
