Moment Jewish man in Brooklyn on his way to synagogue is viciously attacked by two men: State calls on task force to investigate as hate crime attacks jump 118%
The moment a Jewish man on his way to synagogue in New York City on Friday was viciously attacked by two men was caught on alarming video footage.
The unidentified man, 41, was walking to a nearby synagogue in the East Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn around 5:45 a.m. on Friday when two men began savagely kicking and punching him.
The muggers wearing hoods and masks seemingly grab his bag as the man puts his hands up before running for his safety.
The thieves then run off camera while pools of blood were seen spattered on the sidewalk after the attack. No arrests have been made.
The alarming footage was posted to Twitter by the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol, a civilian volunteer patrol group founded 28 years ago to serve members of the Orthodox Jewish community.
The two strangers then began to savagely kick and punch the man
The thieves then run off camera while pools of blood were seen spattered on the sidewalk after the attack
Cops said no arrests have yet been made but that the Hate Crimes Task Force has been notified
Another video posted to Twitter by the Flatbush Shomrim shows the faces of the two suspected attackers
The Flatbush Shomrim said that its volunteers later recovered the man's Tefillin - which are small leather boxes containing scrolls with verses from the Torah. It was not clear what else may have been taken or what injuries the man suffered.
'This pair viciously assaulted and robbed a local resident on his way to Shul this morning. His Tefillin were ultimately recovered by our volunteers,' the Flatbush Shomrim tweeted.
Patrol volunteers also obtained video showing the suspects' faces, branding the footage 'FACE OF EVIL.'
The patrol group said it was offering a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests of the man's attackers.
The brazen early morning attack happened just three blocks from a nearby NYPD precinct. The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force said it was investigating the robbery.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that he ordered the New York State Police's Hate Crimes Task Force to help investigate
Mayor Bill de Blasio also posted to Twitter condemning the attack
Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the robbery 'yet another sickening anti-Semitic attack' while ordering New York State Police's Hate Crimes Task Force to help investigate.
'It's outrageous. To our Jewish community - I know this is exhausting. No one should have to worry about being attacked for their religious beliefs, ever,' Cuomo tweeted. 'We will continue to fight against hate in all its forms.'
Mayor Bill de Blasio also addressed the attack Twitter, saying: 'NOBODY should walk in fear in our city. We won’t back down in the face of hatred. Not today, not ever.'
'This perpetrator will be brought to justice. If you have any information on this outrageous attack, please contact @NYPDHateCrimes immediately,' de Blasio tweeted.
The attack came just over one week after another Jewish man was injured when his attacker threw pieces of broken furniture at him in Brooklyn, the New York Daily News reported.
In that video, the attacker allegedly screamed: 'F**king Jew! Why are you coming into my neighborhood?'
The attack came just over one week after another Jewish man was injured when his attacker threw pieces of broken furniture at him in Brooklyn
In that video, the attacker allegedly screamed: 'F**king Jew! Why are you coming into my neighborhood?'
The Jewish man, 25, was walking near Marcy Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn around 11:30 a.m. on July 5 when the suspect picked up a piece of a dresser drawer left on the curb and threw it at him.
The victim was then hit in the back when he turned to run from his assailant and suffered a minor injury, cops told the Daily News.
In yet another recent anti-Semitic incident, two women and a man were caught on video placing stickers of a swastika-covered flag of Israel on buildings in Manhattan on June 24.
Anti-Asian hate crimes have also recently spiked in the Big Apple amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, the NYPD and the FBI released a joint public service announcement to encourage the reporting of anti-Asian hate crimes.
'NYPD detectives work around the clock to prevent anti-Asian hate crimes from occurring, and vigorously investigate them if they do,' said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
'We need all New Yorkers to help to stop these hateful acts. We must continue to work together, with our federal partners and community members, to ensure safe communities for everyone'