Trio beats up 3 Jewish strangers in 40-minute N.Y. hate crime spree
A trio of young people beat up three Jewish strangers, including a 15-year-old boy, in separate attacks during a 40-minute spree of hate crimes in a Brooklyn neighborhood, police said Thursday.
The mayhem began about 3:25 p.m. Saturday when a 40-year-old man walking home from a Midwood synagogue was confronted by the youthful attackers at at Avenue L and E. 15th St., police said. The assailants punched the victim multiple times before riding off on a scooter.
About 30 minutes later, one of the attackers yelled “Free Palestine!” as he and his accomplices punched and kicked a 15-year-old boy at Avenue J and E. 17th St., police said.
Just five minutes they kicked a 27-year-old man multiple times at Avenue L and E. 18th St. before running off.
All three victims suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention.
On Thursday, police released surveillance images of all three suspects and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
Hate crimes, particularly those targeting Jews, have soared since the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas terrorists in Israel and the war in Gaza that followed.
Police said that in October hate crimes spiked 124 percent, with 101 incidents compared to 45 last October.
Of the 101 incidents, 69 were antisemitic — 214 percent more than the 22 last October, police said.