New York woman carjacked, kidnapped, and brutally beaten by couple over disagreement about 10 cents: 'A ride from hell'



New York police say a woman was kidnapped, carjacked, and brutally beaten by two assailants before she was able to escape the harrowing ordeal.

'She’s holding down my head as she’s just repeatedly beating me and telling me I'm going to die tonight.'

Allison Smith told WHAM-TV about the Sept. 13 incident that put her in the hospital.

The 29-year-old says she was cashing out at the Four Guys deli in Rochester when a woman offered to cover her tab and gave her a five dollar bill. Smith only needed 10 cents, so she gave the woman $4.90 back and promised to go to her car to get a dollar. That's when the woman became visibly upset.

"I said, 'No problem, I’m going to go across the street and grab it from my car, then I don’t want any issues,'" said Smith.

Instead, the man and woman threatened her with a gun and got into her car. They forced Smith to drive them around the city and even picked up another woman whom they referred to as "wifey."

Smith said they began to beat her brutally and at one point shoved a broken pipe into her mouth, which bloodied her lips.

"She’s holding down my head as she’s just repeatedly beating me and telling me I'm going to die tonight," the woman said.

The woman took a chance to save her life and fought back.

"Whoever’s arm is on me, I bite down as hard as I could, and there was a small release," Smith said. "And then I ducked and just ran."

She made her way to a convenience store, where someone called police for her.

Rochester Police Captain Greg Bello told WHAM that someone driving Smith's stolen car led police on a chase the next day before hitting a curb. A group of people rushed out of the car, but police were able to arrest one suspect.

20-year-old Shawntae Hall was arrested and charged with assault, robbery, unlawful imprisonment, and multiple counts of grand larceny but was released and failed to appear in court. Police issued a warrant for her arrest.

Smith's father told WHAM that his daughter was unrecognizable in the emergency room from the brutal beating she suffered.

"I want to see people protected," Shane Smith said. "I mean, this could happen to anyone."'

The interview with the victim can be viewed on the news video report from WHAM on YouTube.

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Two friends go out partying at night, then handyman makes grisly discovery when asked to clean up a mess the next morning



Defense attorney Colin Astarita told reporters he believes his client, 43-year-old Jeremy Allen, is a longtime acquaintance of 43-year-old Christopher Hahn. Astarita said the pair had been back in touch with each other only recently, according to Newsday.

On Friday night, the two allegedly went drinking together at a bar after first planning to attend a 12-step meeting together.

'The video is brutal and heinous to watch.'

"The two of them became very intoxicated," Astarita said. "At some point, there was an altercation that grew more violent."

On Saturday morning, Allen reportedly texted his handyman and asked him to help clean up his house on Long Island.

While the handyman was on the property, Allen's dog pulled at a tarp on the back patio revealing the feet of a lifeless body.

When the handyman saw the body, Allen allegedly told the handyman, "Now you can’t leave. Now you have to help clean up the house."

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Elena Tomaro told Southampton Town Justice Adam Grossman during the hearing, "The handyman left the house in the quiet Oakville Estates neighborhood south of Sunrise Highway, saying he needed to get bleach."

Instead of getting bleach, the handyman called the police.

Beginning at midnight, Tomaro said Allen beat Hahn with a baseball bat for as long as six hours before he pulled out “a large knife” and stabbed his friend “in the head and neck.”

Prosecutors said Allen dragged Hahn's "defenseless and helpless body" onto the patio.

Allen's own home surveillance system reportedly caught Hahn's beating and stabbing death that Allen allegedly carried out.

"The video is brutal and heinous to watch," Tomaro said.

Southampton Town police responded to Allen’s house at 9:52 a.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call from the handyman.

Hahn was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Allen reportedly was arrested about an hour after Hahn's body was found.

Allen pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence in connection with Hahn's death.

In addition, Allen was arrested in May when he tried to buy a shotgun; he was unable to do so because of prior criminal convictions.

"That [effort] was thwarted by the employees of Dick’s Sporting Goods," Tomaro stated.

What's more, Allen has a pending rape case in Southampton Court involving a child under 15 years old, Tomaro said according to Newsday.

Allen reportedly had DWI offenses in 2007 and is currently on probation for a 2022 drunken-driving conviction in Ulster County, according to the prosecutor.

Astarita said he believes Hahn "injected himself into" the life of Allen, hinting that Allen may have a self-defense claim.

"He was in his own home," Astarita said, although admitting that he isn't sure of what caused the altercation between the two men.

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New York man arrested by arson bomb squad for giving 11-year-old son fireworks that set houses on fire



A New York man was arrested by an arson bomb squad for giving his 11-year-old son a firework that set two houses on fire, according to authorities.

According to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department, officers responded around 8:50 a.m. on the 4th of July to reports of a house fire in Levittown, New York.

Police determined that a 33-year-old father gave his 11-year-old son a firework and instructed him to light it. The explosive allegedly malfunctioned and soared into a nearby shed, which caused it to go up in flames.

The blaze in Long Island quickly spread to the defendant's home and then to a neighbor's house.

A single mother renting part of the first home to catch fire was reportedly forced to flee for her life from the burning house.

The Wantagh Fire Department responded and was able to extinguish the fires. However, both homes suffered extensive damage. No injuries were reported.

The Nassau County’s Arson Bomb Squad was also called to the scene and arrested Karamjit Singh without incident.

Singh was charged with second-degree arson, fourth-degree reckless endangerment, unlawfully selling of fireworks to someone under 18, unlawfully possessing fireworks, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Singh was released from jail without bail on Friday after pleading not guilty at his arraignment.

Singh's son was allegedly released to a family member.

Nassau County Fire Marshals launched an investigation into the fiery fireworks accident.

In nearby Suffolk County, a 21-year-old man reportedly severed three fingers on his left hand, damaged two fingers, and suffered burns on his leg in a fireworks accident on July 4th.

A 66-year-old Long Island man from Brentwood lost a hand and several fingers of his second hand after a fireworks explosion on Saturday night, according to WNBC.

As Blaze News previously reported, a South Carolina man was killed after putting a lit firework on top of his head while "showboating" during a 4th of July neighborhood block party. Video caught the last moments of the 41-year-old man's life as he was dancing in an Uncle Sam costume before his tragic, sudden death.

Blaze News also reported on a fatal fireworks accident on Independence Day in Tennessee. A 35-year-old man suffered a large chest wound and died after a firework exploded in his hands.

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Long Island volleyball coach accused of raping girl, 15, commits suicide by train hours after appearing in court: Police



A New York high school volleyball coach accused of raping a 15-year-old girl committed suicide by train hours after making his first appearance in court for the alleged child sex crimes, according to police.

Jason Maser, 22, had been a volleyball coach at Sacred Heart Academy — an all-girls Catholic school in Hempstead, New York. Maser was also a coach at B&B Volleyball — a club team based in Long Island.

Maser's alleged victim played on both teams.

Maser was fired from Sacred Heart Academy and B&B Volleyball after the rape allegations.

According to the New York Daily News, B&B Volleyball informed parents it had learned of an "inappropriate sexual relationship between an adult who coached for B&B Volleyball and one of our players."

Sacred Heart officials said they contacted authorities “immediately” after finding out about the accusations.

Special Victims Squad officers arrested Maser at his home in Syosset on Thursday. He was charged with two counts of third-degree rape and two counts of criminal sex act in addition to endangering the welfare of a child, according to the criminal complaint.

Police accused Maser of raping a 15-year-old girl at least twice inside his Jeep in Albertson on Feb. 7 and March 7, according to the complaint.

The former part-time coach at Sacred Heart Academy made his first court appearance regarding the allegations on Friday afternoon in Hempstead.

Maser pleaded not guilty to the charges. He posted $75,000 bail and was released.

Judge Marie F. McCormack ordered Maser to stay away from the alleged victim.

Maser reportedly killed himself hours after appearing in court.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority told 1010 WINS that Maser "intentionally" stepped in front of Long Island Rail Road train #1573 at the Woodbury Road crossing in Syosset around 10:35 p.m. on Friday.

MTA police said Maser was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Nassau County Police Department identified the body as Maser.

MTA Police Department spokesperson Michael Cortez said Maser left a suicide note before allegedly committing suicide by train.

Maser’s lawyer, John Carman, said Maser's family is devastated by the sudden death.

Carman told Newsday over the weekend, "While they process what has occurred, they are concerned for the young woman involved."

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Woman on motorized scooter suffers in-store meltdown, attacks 'white trash' state trooper, shrieks: 'Walmart is racist!'



Video of a woman on a motorized scooter suffering a meltdown at a Walmart in New York is going viral. The unhinged woman attacked a state trooper and screamed: "Walmart is racist!"

A woman erupted into a bizarre spectacle around 6:30 p.m. on Monday at a Walmart in Westchester County, New York. The video begins with the woman sitting on a motorized scooter as she shrieks at a New York state trooper.

She repeatedly dares the cop, "Drag me the f*** out!"

The situation escalates when the woman tosses a soda bottle and a bag of food at the police officer. She then gets up from her scooter and knocks off merchandise from the shelves near the cash registers.

When the officer attempts to restrain the deranged woman, she smacks the cop in the face, knocking off his eyeglasses. As the tussle continues, the woman slams a merchandise display to the ground. The state trooper and woman fall to the floor.

As the cop attempts to handcuff her, the woman crudely insults the officer by calling him "white trash" multiple times.

She screeches, "Take me to jail!"

The disturbed woman then incessantly howls at the top of her lungs: "Walmart is racist!"

As the wild scene unfolds, dozens of befuddled Walmart shoppers look on in disbelief. Many of the onlookers have their camera phones out to record the outlandish situation.

After the woman was restrained, police said the suspect was taken to a local hospital.

New York State Police told The National Desk that the woman was experiencing "a mental health issue." Police said the incident did not involve shoplifting.

Walmart did not offer a comment on the strange incident.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

— (@)

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Gilgo Beach murders: How a pizza crust, Tinder account, and 'sadistic' Google searches helped police locate Long Island serial killer suspect



After more than a decade, police have arrested a New York man believed to be responsible for the deaths of three sex workers and the prime suspect in the murder of a fourth woman. An avalanche of evidence – including a pizza crust, a Tinder account, and "sadistic" Google searches – led police to the Long Island serial killer suspect in the cold case murders.

Rex A. Heuermann, a 59-year-old Long Island architect and married father of two, was arrested at his Massapequa Park home on Thursday night.

Heuermann was charged with murder in connection to the killings of three women who are part of the “Gilgo Four.” He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the killings of 24-year-old Melissa Barthelemy in 2009, and 22-year-old Megan Waterman and 27-year-old Amber Costello in 2010.

Heuermann was held on no bail. His attorney entered a plea of not guilty on Friday.

Authorities named Heuermann as the "prime suspect" in the death of another victim found on Gilgo Beach. Maureen Brainard-Barnes went missing in 2007.

The New York Post reported, "Suffolk County investigators spent 18 months painstakingly building a case against suspect Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann – the married dad of two who allegedly left a trail of damning evidence behind linking him to the so-called 'Gilgo Four' slayings."

Witnesses say the last client seen with Costello drove "a dark-colored, first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche," according to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney.

Coincidentally, a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche was registered to Heuermann. His pickup truck has since been impounded for evidence.

The suspect reportedly used a different burner phone to book appointments with the sex workers. Tierney said that cell phone tower data showed all of the calls were made from Massapequa Park – where Heuermann lived.

Tierney told Fox News, "So we were able to use that technology, but we still had to develop a suspect. And that's where the phone evidence and the evidence with regard to the car and some of [Heuermann's] other activities came in."

"The FBI and other phone analysts are really skilled in what they can do," Tierney continued. "So they could really analyze phone records and really isolate location areas where suspicious activity occurs. And that really allows you to capture or identify suspects."

Investigators were motivated to arrested Heuermann because continued to use burner phones to make appointments with sex workers, according to officials.

Court documents say Heuermann signed up for Tinder accounts with fictitious names to search for "dates" or "hookups." He purportedly used an American Express credit card via Google Pay to purchase a subscription to Tinder.

"Records obtained from Tinder revealed a burner phone was linked to a fictitious Tinder account for 'Andrew Roberts' using an email that Heuermann also accessed from his personal cell phone," according to the New York Post.

A burner phone was reportedly found on Heuermann at the time of his arrest.

The suspect reportedly used a phone to call Barthelemy’s then-16-year-old sister to say her sibling is a "whore."

CNN reported, "The suspect made taunting phone calls to Barthelemy’s sister, 'some of which resulted in a conversation between the caller, who was a male, and a relative of Melissa Barthelemy, in which the male caller admitted killing and sexually assaulting Ms. Barthelemy,' according to the bail application."

Prosecutors said in the court documents, "Investigators could find no instance where Heuermann was in a separate location from these other cellphones when such a communication event occurred."

Investigators claimed that Heuermann's wife and children were traveling out of New York state on vacation during the time of the victims' disappearances.

Heuermann conducted "thousands" of explicit Google searches for child pornography, nearby sex workers, and other disturbing inquiries, according to court documents.

ABC News reported, "Internet search records from the burner phones showed that between March 2022 and June 2023 indicated the suspect searched for sites 'related to active and known serial killers, the specific disappearances and murders of Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, and Amber Costello, and the investigation into their murders,' as well as 'sex workers, sadistic, torture-related pornography and child pornography,' prosecutors alleged."

Tierney said, "And there was a lot of torture porn. And what you would consider depictions of women being abused, being raped, and being killed."

The district attorney said, "In a 14-month period, he had over 200 searches pertaining to the Gilgo investigation. Not only was he looking at investigative insight. He was looking, trying to figure out, how is the task force using cell phones to figure out what's happening."

The Google searches reportedly included: "Why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by the long island serial killer," "Why hasn’t the long island serial killer been caught," "In Long Island serial killer investigation, new phone technology may be key to break in case."

Investigators reportedly linked Heuermann to the death of Waterman via a pizza crust.

On Jan. 26, investigators witnessed Heuermann throw a pizza box into a trash can in Midtown Manhattan, authorities say. The leftover pizza crust in the box was sent to a crime lab. The DNA from the pizza crust matched a hair found in the burlap used to wrap Waterman's body, according to court docs.

The bodies of Barthelemy, Costello, and Waterman were all found wrapped in camouflaged burlap.

Tierney explained, "All the women were bound at the head, the midsection or chest, and the legs using camouflage burlap used in duck blinds, for hunting. So obviously, it was used to purposely hide the body."

By spring 2011, there were 10 bodies found in the Gilgo Beach area.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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Extra Time: Everything we know about the Gilgo Beach investigation www.youtube.com

21-year-old migrant woman arrested for allegedly dumping newborn baby in hospital trash can



A migrant woman was arrested on Saturday after she was accused of dumping her newborn baby in a hospital trash can.

Lucia Garcia, 21, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment, according to police.

The New York Post reported that Garcia is originally from Mexico, but migrated to the United States roughly 10 months ago, and is seeking asylum. She currently lives in Staten Island with her father. Her mother still lives in Mexico.

Around 1 p.m. on Saturday, an off-duty New York Police Department officer working a side job at the Staten Island University Hospital spotted Garcia – who was soaked in blood. The NYPD officer notified his department about the blood-soaked woman.

Police officers and a hospital custodian reportedly heard the cries from a baby. They found a newborn baby in a hospital trash can, police say.

Lucia's father, 41-year-old Ambrosio Garcia, claimed that he brought his daughter to the hospital on Friday night because she wasn't feeling well. He wasn't aware that his daughter was pregnant, and that she had been hiding her pregnancy from him.

The teary-eyed father told the New York Post, “She said she had her period when she came out of the bathroom. She had a lot of blood on her."

“Then police went into the bathroom, and another man to clean it," he continued. "There was a baby boy in there that they found in the trash can.”

The baby boy was immediately transferred to NYU Langone for medical treatment. The baby is said to be in healthy condition.

The father said police took his daughter into custody after the baby was discovered in the garbage can, and he hadn't talked to her since.

“I feel so bad. I don’t know if she’s okay. I’m sad because I don’t know what I’m going to do," he said. "I don’t have money for a lawyer — I don’t make that much. I’m very sad. I feel bad too. I never thought this would’ve happened.”

Police say the migrant woman was 32 weeks pregnant.

Another mother purportedly threw her baby in a hospital trash can moments after she gave birth, and was charged with first-degree murder in New Mexico last week after the newborn was found dead. Police released bodycam video of an officer confronting the teen as well as her mother about the newborn baby being dumped in the trash.

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New York Democrat accused of sexual harassment by top aide, complaint says assemblyman talked about genitals and his son's sexual encounters with underage girls



A former top aide has accused a New York Democrat assemblyman of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment. The Democrat talked about genitalia and his teen son's sexual encounters with underage girls, according to an eye-opening report.

Damning accusations of sexual harassment have been made against Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke of Buffalo, New York. Nicole Golias, Burke's former legislative director, claimed the Erie County Democrat of several accusations of sexual harassment.

Golias, who worked with Burke from September 2021 to May 2022, filed a complaint accusing the 38-year-old New York Democrat of making lewd comments about women's bodies and remarking about underage girls who were seen in sexual videos with the assemblyman's son.

The Buffalo News reported on Friday, "Two other people with firsthand knowledge of Burke’s behavior in his district office also said they witnessed conversations in which the assemblyman used language they considered inappropriate and commented on women’s looks."

Golias claims that Burke made "vulgar, crass, and sexually explicit comments."

Golias said, "Pat would do stuff that made us pretty uncomfortable with regularity."

The former top aide accused Burke of telling his staff that "he had viewed sexually explicit videos of his son and female partners on his son’s Snapchat account."

The upstate New York outlet reported, "Burke called his teenage son’s sexual partners 'hot,' Golias said. Golias said she told Burke that the people were minors. According to Golias’ complaint, Burke, using a profane term, told his staff that if the partner had large breasts and 'a size zero waist,' 'she's hot.'"

Matthew T.H. Dearing, the assemblyman's former director of community relations, claimed that he felt "very taken aback" by Burke’s "comments about the girl’s physique."

"He said the girls in the videos were ‘hot and it didn’t matter that they were under aged [sic]," the New York Post reported of the complaint.

Golias and Dearing accused Burke of commenting on the genitalia of a man Golias was dating.

Burke has refuted the accusations against him. He said that he "absolutely" did not comment on the bodies of men and women.

Golias claims that Burke brought psychedelic mushrooms into the office.

The complaint reads, "This behavior included comments about himself as a 'colonizer' because he had control and dominion over his wife because he is Caucasian and his wife is Puerto Rican."

Golias and Dearing alleged that Burke "would do anything he could to appear cool and attractive."

Burke has denied the accusations. He called the accusations "absurd" and "a lie."

Burke lashed out after the complaint, "Ms. Golias' behavior was egregious during her brief tenure in my office, and it is an outrage that she would accuse me of the very behavior she not only participated in, but fostered. She has twisted the truth and outright lied in the past, and she is doing it again for monetary gain."

Golias is seeking unspecified damages for lost wages and emotional distress in her sexual harassment complaint.

Golias was one of three staffers to be fired last year after controversy surrounding the Tops mass shooting in Buffalo.

"Assemblyman Pat Burke's now former staff members said he indicated he wanted to make a fiery speech on the Assembly floor denouncing white supremacy and the so-called Great Replacement Theory," Spectrum News 1 reported last May.

"Dearing, Keany, and Legislative Director Nicole Golias, who was also on the call, felt it was clear Burke was worried taking too strong a stance would not play well in his traditionally white Irish Catholic district," the report stated. "Dearing, Burke's only Black staffer, said he was directed to turn his attention to gathering volunteers to collect independent nominating petitions for Burke."

Burke said the three former employees were fired for "gross insubordination."

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Sexual harassment claim filed against Assemblyman Patrick Burke www.youtube.com


'Gunshots and the screaming': 2 people shot outside home of New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin



A shooting erupted outside the Long Island home of Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) on Sunday afternoon. The New York Republican gubernatorial candidate and his wife were not home at the time of the shooting, but his teen daughters experienced the frightening situation that left them "shaken."

Around 2:18 p.m. on Sunday, two people were shot outside of Zeldin's home in Shirley, New York.

"My 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park," Zeldin said in a news release.

"After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911," Zeldin stated. "They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them."

Zeldin said one of the bullets landed "just 30 feet" from his daughters.

"The two individuals who were shot were laying down under my front porch and the bushes in front of our porch," he added.

Zeldin said his twin teen daughters are "shaken, but ok."

Zeldin concluded, "Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. My family is grateful to all who have reached out and we will provide another update when we can."

New York Gov. Kathy Holchul's opponent said his family is working with investigators, and that he provided security camera footage to the police.

The situation around the shooting is unclear, but Suffolk County Police confirmed that the shooting had no connection to the Zeldin family.

A police spokesperson said the two people who were shot were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Zeldin has been a fierce critic of crime running rampant in New York under Holchul's watch.

"In Kathy Hochul’s New York, crime is out of control," he said last month in a tweet promoting his campaign ad that highlighted crimes committed in New York.

"She's been pandering to pro-criminal allies and she's been on the wrong side of these issues one after the other," Zeldin told Fox News host Harris Faulkner on Friday. "Kathy Hochul can't confront this head-on because she hasn't actually been doing anything about it."

In May, Zeldin was physically attacked by a man during an event in Rochester, New York.

Police: 2 men shot near home of Rep. Lee Zeldin www.youtube.com


NYPD charges suspects believed responsible for recent anti-Semitic hate crimes in Brooklyn



The NYPD arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with attacks committed last weekend in Brooklyn, New York. The boy has been charged with assault as a hate crime.

On August 21 at 6 a.m., a 72-year-old man on his way to morning prayers was mobbed and attacked with a fire extinguisher near Taylor Street and Lee Avenue in Williamsburg. "One guy ran after me and he started to spray," the victim told CBS2.

That same morning, a 66-year-old Jewish New Yorker was similarly sprayed with a fire extinguisher and then punched.

The 72-year-old victim's son suggested that the attack was likely a hate crime, based also on the religion of the 66-year-old attacked nearby shortly thereafter.

\u201cFIRE EXTINGUISHER ATTACK: Two men were sprayed with fire extinguishers in separate incidents in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Sunday morning, police said.\n\nVideo from one incident shows the victim wearing traditional Jewish garb.\u201d
— PIX11 News (@PIX11 News) 1661273517

According to NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, both victims were targeted because they are Jewish. "No one deserves to be the victim of such senseless, hateful violence," said Sewell. "We remain focused on prevention. ... The NYPD takes great pride in the work that we do each day and night whenever hate emerges."

Arrests made this year by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force are up in excess of 100%. In the second quarter of 2022, 155 hate crime complaints were filed and 73 arrests made by the NYPD; 50 arrests were made in the year's first quarter. Arrests made in connection with attacks on Jewish New Yorkers are up 45% this year.

Rabbi Sam Stern, a community activist and chair of the United Jewish Advisory Council, said the rash of anti-Semitic attacks in New York are cause for concern, especially now as kids are returning to school. "We're terrified. We're distressed," he said. "If people can be beaten in early morning just for going to synagogue, these kids will be afraid walking out to school."

In addition to the apprehension of the suspect believed to be behind the fire extinguisher attacks, Sewell announced that arrest was made in connection with another recent anti-Semitic attack.

The NYPD said 31-year-old Carrington Maddox was arrested on Thursday and charged with aggravated harassment and menacing as a hate crime. The Brooklyn resident allegedly slapped a 27-year-old man dressed in traditional Jewish attire on August 22.

NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig condemned the attacks, saying, "To be attacked for no other reason than you were wearing clothing that identifies you as a member of the Jewish faith is not only an assault on that person but on the whole Jewish community and the entire city."

New York City is said by the Anti-Defamation League to have led the nation in anti-Semitic incidents last year, which saw a 24% spike in incidents over 2020, resulting in a total of 416 incidents.

In 2021, anti-Semitic incidents reached an all-time high in the U.S., with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism.