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Feb. 26-March 4, 2021
COPS IDENTIFY SUSPECT WHO ALLEGEDLY
VANDALIZED REGO PARK JEWISH CENTER
BY JACOB KAYE
Police have identified a suspect
they believe to have drawn
a swastika onto the Rego Park
Jewish Center last week.
The hate symbol, scribbled
onto a sign outside of the synagogue,
located at 97-30 Queens
Blvd., was drawn by a man police
believe to be between the
ages of 20 and 30 on Wednesday,
Feb. 17, around 10:50 a.m.,
according to the NYPD.
After vandalizing the sign
with a marker, the man fled on
foot in a unknown direction,
cops said.
The anti-Semitic drawing
prompted an immediate
response from lawmakers.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
directed the State Police Hate
Crimes Task Force to aid in
the investigation as Congresswoman
Grace Meng joined state
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky,
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi,
Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz
in condemning the anti-
Semitic act of vandalism.
“There is absolutely no room
for this kind of hatred in our
community,” the lawmakers
said in a joint statement. “We
have consulted with the NYPD,
and are confident that the perpetrator
behind this cowardly
offense will be found, and will
face justice.”
City Council candidate Avi Cyperstein removes a swastika scrawled outside the Rego Park Jewish
Center. Photo courtesy of Cyperstein’s campaign/Inset courtesy of NYPD
City Council candidate Avi
Cyperstein headed to the house
of worship shortly after the incident
to scrub the swastika off
the sign.
“The neighborhood has been
scarred by hate before and this
pattern must end immediately,”
Cyperstein said. “Nobody
should have to experience or
witness anti-Semitic marks anywhere
in the world, especially
in the most diverse borough of
New York City, Queens.”
The anti-Semitic incident
follows a surge in hate crime
incidents, particularly against
Asian Americans, in the
borough.
Last week, police arrested
Patrick Mateo, 47, after he allegedly
shoved a 52-year-old Asian
woman while walking in downtown
Flushing on Tuesday, Feb.
16, according to the NYPD. The
woman needed 10 stitches to sew
up a cut she sustained during
the fall.
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards condemned
the rise in hate crimes and
called on the continued efforts
of the NYPD Hate Crime Task
Force, the Office for the Prevention
of Hate Crimes and the
New York City Commission on
Human Rights to put an end to
the racist incidents.
“These disgusting acts of anti
Asian and anti-Semitic hate
were reprehensible, and those
who committed them should
be held accountable to the fullest
extent possible,” Richards
said. “Queens residents should
also be vigilant in reporting
and speaking out against such
acts of hatred and in showing
support for our neighbors when
they are attacked. None of us
should ever be made to feel unsafe
or unwelcome in our own
community.”
Anyone with information in
regard to the identity of the suspect
is asked to call the NYPD’s
Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-
577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish,
888-57-PISTA (74782). The public
can also submit their tips by
logging onto the CrimeStoppers
website at nypdcrimestoppers.
com, or on Twitter
@NYPDTips.
Vol. 9 No. 9 32 total pages
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