Itongadol.- A 17-year-old orthodox Jewish yeshiva student walking home after yeshiva to his home in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn was assaulted by a black male in what detectives now believe was a bias assault, NYPD Officials told JP on Tuesday night.
The assault occurred Monday at 6:20 p.m. when the Yeshiva student identified by sources as Michael Lew was at the intersection of Avenue L and East 29th Street when he was approached by an African-American male. Without making any statements the assailant punched the boy in the left side of his face causing him to fall to the ground suffering minor injuries.
The victim filed a police report with the 70th precinct on Monday night but police didn’t notify hate crimes task force until later in the investigation sources said.
They should have notified Hate Crimes immediately, especially when the victim told the police that he never saw the suspect before, nothing was taken from him, and he had his tzitzis out and tefillin in his hand. Just to be safe they should have notified them, the sources added.
On Tuesday night the Hate Crimes Task Force took over the investigation and are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
“I’m just in complete shock over the recent spate of violence and brutality,” said Assemblyman Hikind, who said the attack was reminiscent of the 2013 knockout games in Brooklyn. “It’s a shame that we have to worry about what street we’re walking down in such a safe neighborhood.”
“We, as a community, need to be aware and alert of our surroundings,” added Hikind, who visited the victim at his house Tuesday afternoon.