NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Police are searching for a man who scrawled "Jew" and a Star of David on a building in the Flatiron District in what's being investigated as a hate crime.
The NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force released an image Friday of the man they're searching for, who's believed to be in his 50s. He's suspected of aggravated harassment.
According to police, he walked up to 131 Fifth Ave. at 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and drew a Star of David and wrote the word "Jew" with a question mark.
It's unclear if a specific Jewish person or organization is believed to have been targeted, but the case is being investigated as aggravated harassment.
It comes 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 in October.
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.