NY police charge Muslim man who beat elderly Jew with hate crime

Cab driver Farrukh Afzal was charged with a hate crime for viciously beating an Orthodox Jew in New York.

By World Israel News Staff

Cab driver Farrukh Afzal, caught on video savagely beating an elderly Jew in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, was charged with a hate crime Friday.

Afzal, a 37-year-old Muslim and resident of Staten Island, assaulted Orthodox Jew Lipa Schwartz, 62, at an intersection on October 14 at approximately 7:30 a.m., while Schwartz was on his way to synagogue for morning prayers.

Afzal, who has eight previous arrests, according to police, was initially charged with attempted assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree, menacing and harassment.

Schwartz said that throughout the beating, his attacker shouted “Allah” repeatedly and howled that he wanted to “kill all Jews,” as well as making references to Israel. If not for a passerby who intervened, the victim likely would not have survived the attack, he added.

The charges were upgraded Friday during a presentation at the District Attorney’s Office, the local WABC radio station reported.