NYPD Investigating 4 Alleged Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Committed In One Night In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Members of the Jewish community in Brooklyn were terrorized over the weekend, with four alleged hate crimes committed in one night.
CBS2's Valerie Castro reports the victims were chased, scared, taunted and, in some cases, punched.
Surveillance video captures a car slowing down as it reaches two pedestrians, a Hasidic couple, on 48th Street in Borough Park. The passenger in the car allegedly punched the man before the car sped away.
This is one of four incidents that took place in one night. All those targeted are of the Jewish faith.
"I saw, after the Sabbath, I saw these videos of these group of people, they went and attacked a bunch of Jews," Borough Park resident Mordechaihahn Hahn said. "It hurt me ... You know, it hurts me that people target Jews like that."
Another unprovoked incident took place on New Utrecht Avenue near 53rd. In a video, several suspects are seen jumping out of a car and appear to chase their victims across the street.
A similar incident was caught on camera on 55th Street near 14th Avenue. A suspect sprints across the street and appears to shout at the victims while shining some sort of light at them.
Video from 51st and 14th Avenue shows the suspects jumping out of a car. They are said to be assaulting someone off camera before running back to the vehicle.
"I guess we need more security around here. I don't know. I was kind of shocked," Borough Park resident Motty Charnas said.
What is also needed is for victims to come forward while the NYPD investigates these cases as hate crimes.
"I don't see why people wouldn't want to go. I would personally go to the police. I'm not sure why people would hesitate to. If you go to the police, it gets people off the streets and we'll definitely be safer," Hahn said.
"I think it's terrible. It has to be reported and people have to report it so that something can be done about it," Borough Park resident Renee Oberlander said.
The NYPD said the department will "never tolerate hate in our city in any form."
"The NYPD has the largest Hate Crime Task Force in the country comprised of the best hate crime investigators that work tirelessly with our patrol officers, detective squads and community leaders to vigorously investigate every reported hate crime," the statement continued. "We urge anyone who has been the victim of a crime to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support."
Call police if you have any information about the incidents and encourage anyone who might have been a victim to report it.
