NYPD Releases New Video Of Yeshiva Vandalism Suspect
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The NYPD has release new surveillance video in the search for a man accused of vandalizing two Staten Island yeshivas.
Last week, the words "Synagogue of Satan" were spray painted on a yeshiva on Harold Street, and the acronym "SOS" was found on another yeshiva across the street.
"I was waiting for something to happen because of the atmosphere that's going on in America," Rabbi Moshe Katzman, who runs the Chabad of Staten Island next door, told CBS2. "The antisemitism is just going on a rampage out there, and no one is taking a stand."
The suspect was seen on video walking along Wellbrook Avenue toward Portage Avenue in the Manor Heights neighborhood.
Police described him as a white man wearing a hoodie and shorts with a dark stripe on the side.
"I want these people to become better people, I want them to become better citizens. I don't need them punished as long as they behave properly," said Moshe.
Web Extra: Community Leaders Rally Against Yeshiva Vandalism
The NYPD says anti-Semitic hate crimes in the city were up 82 percent over the first four months of 2019, compared to the same period last year.
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
