An investigation regarding an act of anti-Jewish violence on a subway train in Jamaica Hills is currently being carried out by the Hate Crimes Task Force of the New York Police Department. Such an incident took place on a particularly busy Monday morning, on January 13. A public transport passenger, aged 27, became the target of the aggressor while the northbound F train was nearing the Parsons Boulevard station around 7 in the morning.
The assailant, an unidentified individual, initiated the assault by loudly uttering hate speech against Jews. The verbal attack soon escalated, as the aggressor physically attacked the victim. The confrontation heated up with the stranger slapping the hapless commuter before landing a punch on his face.
The attack grew more violent when the attacker seized the victim’s mezuzah necklace, an artifact typically found in Jewish households. Tearing it off from the victim’s neck, the assailant callously shattered it on the subway car floor. While mezuzahs are commonly affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes as a sign of faith and protection, they are also sometimes worn as jewelry.
After committing the act, the offender did not linger around. Immediately following the incident, he exited the train at the Parsons Boulevard station. His escape route led him through Hillside Avenue, where he successfully avoided immediate apprehension.
Presently, the Hate Crimes Task Force is heavily involved in the investigation of this case, being supported by detectives from Fresh Meadows’ 107th Precinct and Transit District 20. Police officers from these units attended the crime scene promptly after the incident occurred.
The victim, despite the assault, declined the offer of medical attention at the location. While the incident has been a shocking one, he had not suffered severe physical injuries necessitating immediate medical aid.
A month has passed since the attack, yet the suspect remains at liberty. His current whereabouts are unknown, and continue to elude the police. His identification and arrest are the highest priority for the involved law enforcement.
In order to facilitate the search efforts, the NYPD released a sequence of five surveillance images taken shortly after the crime. These images, captured during the incident, show the suspect inside the subway car, on the Parsons Boulevard station platform, and while exiting the turnstile.
The man can be seen sporting a dark beard and mustache in the images. He completed his attire with a New York Yankees baseball cap which was concealed under a black hoodie. Clad in a distinctive burnt-orange overcoat, black trousers, and dark sneakers, his style gives him a unique appearance.
In light of these events, the NYPD solicits any information the public might have about this assault. The department encourages informants to reach out via the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The department wishes to assure callers that their identities and the information provided will remain strictly confidential.
In contrast to the same period last year, the 107th Precinct has reported two hate crimes for the year 2025, up until February 2. The precinct witnessed no such events during the same duration in the previous year. These statistics have been derived from the most recent CompStat report.
Additionally, there has been a notable decrease in the number of felony assaults. The precinct reported a total of 18 such crimes to have occurred this year, which is a significant reduction from the 29 instances in the respective period of the previous year. This translates to a decrease of approximately 37.9% in such crimes, as per the CompStat data.
Turning the focus to transit crimes, the 107th Precinct has recorded two such incidents this year, up to February 2. This signifies a reduction of two incidents from the four reported during the corresponding period in the previous year. Ironically, this reflects an increase of 50%, as analyzed by CompStat.