The NYPD says they are still looking for a bigot who verbally harassed and assaulted a child on the Lower East Side last month in an anti-LGBTQIA+ attack.
NYPD
Hate crimes detectives are on the hunt for the bigoted suspect who verbally harassed and assaulted a child on the Lower East Side in a recent anti-LGBTQ+ attack.
According to police sources, the shocking incident unfolded at around 6 p.m. on April 29 in front of the Baruch Houses, located at 68 Baruch Drive.
Police reported that the victim, a 12-year-old boy, was sitting on a bench when he was approached by a man who spouted homophobic rhetoric and cursed at the child.
Sources familiar with the investigation reported that the victim ignored the suspect as he threatened to attack him until he left the area. Moments later, however, the perpetrator returned and struck the pre-teen over the shoulder with a belt before fleeing on foot.
Officers from the 7th Precinct responded to the incident. The boy suffered pain and swelling but was not hospitalized.
The case was ultimately presented to the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit for further investigation. On Tuesday, the NYPD released a sketch of the suspect, whom the department described as being between 45 and 50 years of age who was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.
Anyone with information regarding the incident 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.
Through May 31, the NYPD reported 22 hate crimes citywide targeting victims for their sexual orientation year-to-date, a 69.2% increase from the 13 reported at the same point in 2025.
Overall, hate crimes are up 8.6% this year, with 265 incidents. The NYPD reported that more than half of the incidents involved Jewish victims, 152 total.
