A 58-year-old New York City man was arrested on attempted murder and attempted assault as a hate crime charges after allegedly driving his car onto the sidewalk in front of a Jewish school and trying to hit people while yelling antisemitic words, authorities say.
Asghar Ali is also accused of menacing, endangerment and aggravated harassment, along with vehicular assault and reckless driving, in the Wednesday incident on Glenwood Road in Flatlands.
The jarring incident, part of which was caught on security cameras, happened right around lunchtime. It shows two students in Jewish clothing running on a lawn, scattering as they try to flee something out of the frame. Then a white vehicle appears in the frame, driving over lawns and appearing to be in direct pursuit of the individuals.
Police say the suspect yelled antisemitic words before driving up on the curb. He was arrested nearby minutes after the incident and faces more than a dozen counts. Nine of them have to do with one individual on the sidewalk. The others relate to the alleged harassment of students in Jewish garb outside the yeshiva.
No physical injuries were reported.
The hate crime classification increases the penalty on related charges for convictions. Attorney information for Ali wasn't immediately available Thursday.
The NYPD Chief of Detectives said last week that antisemitic crimes in the city are up 55% this year compared with the same timeframe last year.
U.S. & World
A recent Anti-Defamation League report highlighted similar findings, both locally and nationally.
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