Members of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force need the public’s help in finding a group of assailants who attacked two Orthodox Jewish men on the streets of Brooklyn on Christmas Eve.
On Dec. 31, the NYPD released video footage of the perpetrators responsible for the pair of attacks, the first of which occurred at 5:20 p.m. on Dec. 24 along Union Street between Albany and Kingston Avenues in Crown Heights.
According to law enforcement sources, the 56-year-old male victim was walking along Union Street when the group approached him from behind. One of the suspects punched the man in the back of the head, causing him to the fall. Cops said another male recorded the incident on his phone.
Following the attack, police reported, the suspects crossed the street and were last seen heading toward Albany Avenue. The victim declined medical attention at the scene.
Thirty-six minutes later, authorities said, the same group attacked a 23-year-old man as he walked along Albany Avenue and Lincoln Place.
During the assault, part of which was caught on video, one of the perpetrators hit the victim in the head with a chair, then punched him in the face. Another member of the group menaced the victim with a stick.
The attackers were last seen heading eastbound on Union Street. As in the first incident, the victim refused medical attention.
The incidents were reported to the 71st and 77th Precincts. They are being investigated as part of a rash of recent anti-Semitic attacks that have occurred in the New York City area in recent weeks.
Anyone with information regarding the Christmas Eve assaults or the suspects’ whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website or send a direct message on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
