Police: No Evidence Monsey Stabbing Was a Hate Crime; Investigation Continues

Police in the town of Ramapo do not believe that the stabbing of a rebbi in Monsey on Wednesday morning was a hate crime, and are not treating it as such.

“Although there are those who believe that this was a hate crime, the official position of the Town of Ramapo Police Department is, that at this time, there is no evidence to support that contention,” the department wrote on its social media page Friday, quoting Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel.

“If anyone has facts that this is a hate crime … we strongly encourage them to come forward and report this information to our agency,” it added.

On Sunday, Weidel wrote that the investigative efforts are continuing on several fronts. He noted that the Ramapo Police Department can not make any public comments yet, and that “as soon as we can, RPD will provide the public with an update as to what we have learned and the direction the case is going.”

The 30-year-old rebbi was stabbed multiple times as he walked to Shacharis, and is still hospitalized.

Police said they were continuing to hunt for the stabbers.

“It was in fact an assault and a very violent and vicious one at that,” Weidel said in a press conference Wednesday. “Our victim was walking to synagogue, he was approached from behind by at least one and maybe more individuals, and he was assaulted and stabbed, and stabbed more than once.”

Meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced a reward of up to $10,000 “for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the vicious stabbing and assault.”

Readers are asked to continue to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Mordechai ben Bracha, besoch sh’ar cholei Yisrael.