WILLIAMSBURG — A 25-year-old Hispanic man riding his bicycle in Williamsburg was beaten by a pair of skateboard riders in an attack police are investigating as a possible hate crime, officials said.
The victim, whose name is being withheld, was pedaling home from work at about 5:15 a.m. Sunday on Jackson Street when two skateboarders blocked his path in a westbound bike lane near Leonard Street.
The men told him that he "didn't belong here" before one of them smashed him in the head with his skateboard, sending the cyclist toppling to the street, police said. The pair then repeatedly punched and kicked him before fleeing.
Sources say the victim was treated at Bellevue Hospital and reported the incident to the police after he was released.
The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime by the Hate Crimes Task Force, police said.
