CROWN HEIGHTS — A Jewish man heading to a neighborhood synagogue was punched in the face early Saturday morning in what police are investigating as a hate crime.
The man was walking north on Albany Avenue near East New York Avenue at 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, he told police, when a man walked up to him and asked “What are you doing on my block?” before punching him in the face.
The suspect, who appeared intoxicated at the time of the attack, police said, kept punching the victim, saying, “You Jews hate black people, we hate you, too.”
Police say the suspect fled on foot. No arrests have been made as of Monday, they said. NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the assault.
The victim, who was walking to synagogue at the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway at the time of the incident, sustained minor injuries, but refused medical attention at the scene, officials said.
The 71st Precinct said it will increase patrols in the area following the attack “to assure the community of their safety,” according to an alert sent to residents Saturday.
