UPPER WEST SIDE — A young man claiming to be Muslim punched a Judaica store employee while hurling anti-Semitic slurs Monday in an incident police are investigating as a hate crime, the NYPD said.
The suspect, believed to be in his 20s, screamed at and attacked Solomon Salczer, 52, outside West Side Judaica at 2412 Broadway, at West 88th Street, at 1:15 p.m., before fleeing southbound on a Razor scooter, according to the NYPD and an employee.
”F— you Jews. I’ll kill you. I’m a Muslim," police said he yelled at Salczer, in addition to punching him in the right eye.
Salczer refused medical attention, police said.
The attack, which police said is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes unit, was first reported by JP Updates.
The suspect, who was wearing a blue-hooded jacket and red jeans, stands approximately 5-foot-10 and weighs 165 pounds, police said.
The store, which has been in the neighborhood for more than 80 years, sells Jewish books, yarmulkes and religious artwork, among other items.
Residents shopping at the store Tuesday said they were stunned by the attack.
"It is a bit surprising in this neighborhood, because it is a liberal and open-minded community," said a woman who identified herself only as Stacey and said she'd lived in the neighborhood for 23 years.
She called the incident "very sad" and said the longtime store owners and staff are "very friendly and helpful."
Local resident Hans Seideman, 90, has shopped at West Side Judaica for 28 years and said he'd never heard of anything like this happening there before.
"I lived through Germany — the Hitler years — so I'm used to it, but it's kind of sad," he said. "The world is so crazy. I think it is probably isolated."
Leon Shikhal, 69, who is originally from Russia and owns the West Side Barber Shop next door to the shop, also condemned the incident.
"We came to a free country," he said. "We're free to do anything, but not crazy things."
Subscribe to DNAinfo's Upper West Side podcast:
