New York City Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell said during a press conference on Monday that police have made arrests in connection to three hate-crimes incidents against Chassidic Jewish men that took place in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg earlier in August, reported NY1.
Brooklyn resident Carrington Maddox, 31, was arrested on Aug. 25 for allegedly slapping in the face a visibly Jewish man, 27, who was walking down the street on Aug. 22. He was charged with aggravated harassment and menacing as a hate crime.
“No one deserves to be the victim of such senseless, hateful violence,” said Sewell during the press conference on Monday, according to NY1.
A 14-year-old boy was also charged on Monday afternoon in relation to two separate incidents on Aug. 21 in which victims were sprayed with a fire extinguisher.
In one case, a 66-year-old Jewish man was approached by a group who sprayed him with powder from a fire extinguisher and then punched him. The group fled the scene following the unprovoked attack. In a separate attack on Aug. 21, a 72-year-old Jewish man was approached by a group of unidentified individuals and sprayed with a fire extinguisher before the alleged attackers fled the scene. No injuries were reported.
The attacks on Aug. 21 took place minutes apart as the victims were walking to morning prayer services at their synagogue, said police.
Sewell also announced on Monday that there is now increased police patrol near synagogues in Williamsburg in light of the recent attacks.
“We remain focused on prevention,” she said. “The NYPD takes great pride in the work that we do each day and night whenever and wherever hate emerges.”
