A man has been arrested and charged with multiple hate crimes after disrupting Shabbat services and injuring a woman at Central Synagogue in Manhattan Friday night, New York police said.
The man, identified as 46-year-old Larry Montes from The Bronx, also “damaged synagogue property,” and spat at and headbutted a member of the synagogue’s security team as he was escorted out of the building, said Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on X.
A 63-year-old woman suffered a small cut to her lip and injuries to her right forearm after being struck by the man, an NYPD spokesperson told CNN.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has had a tense relationship with some members of the city’s Jewish community over his fierce criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, was quick to condemn the attack.
“This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe,” he said on X on Friday night. He added that New Yorkers must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence.
