Two Young Children Assaulted by Gang of Teens in Crown Heights

By Matis Glenn

Two young Orthodox Jewish boys were attacked in the heart of Crown Heights by a mob of four teenagers, according to Shomrim.

The two victims, brothers ages 10 and 12, were walking on Albany Avenue and Eastern Parkway Sunday night at around 6 p.m., on their way to an afterschool Torah learning program. Suddenly, a gang of four assailants attacked the outnumbered, smaller pair of boys without provocation or an exchange of words.

The boys suffered multiple punches to the face, but b’chasdei Hashem, were not seriously injured, and continued on to their destination. When they came home, the boys’ father contacted Shomrim, which began an investigation and filed a police report.

Later that night, Shomrim received multiple reports describing the same group harassing other members of the Crown Heights Orthodox Jewish community, including a husband and wife, and a woman walking alone. None of the other incidents involved a physical assault.

Shomrim assisted in gathering video surveillance from the area, and were able to spot both the initial incident and footage of at least one of the suspects’ faces.

Hate crimes against Jews in New York City have been on the rise, and Jewish New Yorkers continue to be the most targeted population citywide.

mglenn@hamodia.com