Police Arrest Third Suspect in Attack on Jewish Man in Times Square

Police have arrested Mahmoud Musa, 23, of Staten Island, as one of the suspects in the beating of a Jewish man in Times Square on May 20.

Musa has been charged with gang assault and assault as a hate crime. Police previously arrested Faisal Elezzi, 25, and Waseem Awawdeh, 23. Elezzi has been charged with charged with assault as a hate crime, menacing as a hate crime, and aggravated harassment as a hate crime. Awawdeh, who was accused of beating the victim with crutches, was charged with assault as a hate crime in the 2nd degree, gang assault as a hate crime in the 2nd degree, menacing, and criminal possession of a weapon, which was the crutch used in the assault.

The victim, Joseph Borgen, 29, was seemingly identified by his yarmulke. The five men who attacked him screamed slurs at him and beat him and pepper-sprayed even as he fell to the ground.

“They were using their fists, they were kicking me, punching me, kicking me all over my body,” Borgen told Fox5. “What happened yesterday is just not the answer to anyone’s problems, regardless of what color of skin you are, what race you are, what ethnicity, what religion. That’s just wrong on so many levels regardless of who you are.”

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smarcus@hamodia.com