A Bronx man was arrested and charged with hate crimes after disrupting Shabbat services at a New York City synagogue and assaulting both a congregation member and a security guard on Friday evening.
Larry Montes, 46, was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime for the incident at Manhattan's Central Synagogue, according to New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Montes entered the synagogue on Friday evening during Shabbat services and disrupted the meeting. According to Tisch, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and spit at and head-butted a security guard as they attempted to remove him from the premises.
An NYPD sergeant working as a security guard at the synagogue then stepped in and took Montes into custody.
Tisch stated that those who were hurt during the incident were not seriously injured, were evaluated on scene, and are “doing well.” She added that there are no additional threats at the moment and an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
'A place of worship should never be a crime scene'
She described the incident as “deeply painful,” stating that she has previously attended Central Synagogue.
“Central Synagogue is where I grew up. In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace,” Tisch continued. “A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani similarly decried the incident, claiming he was “horrified” by the assault.
“I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this, during Shabbat services, causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,” Mandani stated.“Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence. This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.”