Man Charged With Hate Crime In Attack On Elderly Jewish Man In The Bronx
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Yonkers man was charged with a hate crime this weekend on allegations that he attacked an 84-year-old Jewish man in a Bronx assisted living facility.
Alen Califano, 41, was charged with robbery, assault as a hate crime, burglary, and weapons and marijuana counts, police said.
Sources said the suspect entered The New Jewish Home assisted living facility, at University Avenue and West 192nd Street in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx on Saturday.
The suspect entered an apartment where he confronted a 61-year-old man and damaged property in his apartment while holding a marijuana cigarette, police sources told CBS2.
The suspect then allegedly entered another apartment and demanded money from an 84-year-old man, police said. The man refused, and the suspect then said, "I will kill you, you f***ing Jew," sources said.
The suspect then hit the victim with a cardboard tube, causing cuts to his face and head, sources said. The suspect then picked up a fire extinguisher and threw it at the man, but the man was able to block it, sources said.
The suspect then went to the lobby, where he was confronted by police and arrested, sources said. Police took a collapsible baton from his pocket in the lobby, sources said.
There was also a third victim – a 23-year-old woman – but it was not clear late Sunday how she was involved, sources said.
The assisted living facility issued a statement said the incident was isolated, and a guard employed by a private contractor who breached protocol was blamed.
"There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our residents. This isolated incident is the result of an unacceptable breach of protocol committed by a guard employed by the private firm contracted to provide security at this assisted living facility. The guard was fired immediately. And we have demanded, by Monday morning, an incident report and remedial action plan from the company. The University Avenue Assisted Living staff responded quickly and immediately contacted law enforcement. We are fully cooperating with the NYPD," director of University Avenue Assisted Living.
The suspect has an extensive record dating back to 1992, sources said.
