NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Three suspects who appear to be teens went on a hate-fueled attack spree in Midwood, beating up three Jewish people in about 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon, police said Thursday as they released photos in their search for them.
The NYPD said all three victims appear to have been targeted because they're Jewish. The department's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating.
The assault spree started at 3:25 p.m. near East 15th Street and Avenue L. A 40-year-old man was walking home from a synagogue when three males punched him repeatedly, police said.
The trio then walked about two blocks north to East 17th Street and Avenue J, where they ganged up on a 15-year-old boy just before 4 p.m. They allegedly punched and kicked him multiple times before fleeing.
The third assault happened just minutes later at East 18th Street and Avenue L, a couple blocks south of the second attack scene. A 27-year-old man was walking in the area just after 4 p.m. when he was kicked repeatedly by the suspects, police said.
All three victims suffered minor injuries and declined further medical attention, according to cops.
The assaults come amid a citywide spike in antisemitic hate crimes, which rose 214% in October 2023 compared to October 2022, according to the latest NYPD statistics.
The Anti-Defamation League has recorded a nearly quadruple spike in antisemitic incidents since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war last month.
In a nearly 45-minute speech Wednesday from the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranked Jewish elected official in the U.S. and a Brooklyn native, warned antisemitism in America has reached levels unseen in generations. "In many ways, we feel alone," the senator said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
