A man walking in Central Park was attacked by a homeless man who spat in his face and shouted “Hitler was right,” police said Wednesday.
Police released photos of the suspect at large, who was carrying several bags and had two metal water bottles hanging from his neck, in the hope that someone would recognize him.
The 65-year-old victim, who is Jewish, was fair leaving the park at E. 68th St. As the attacker charged toward him on Fifth Ave. around 4:10 p.m. on July 27, police said.
“Should I hit you or hit you?” the attacker asked as he pulled down his surgical mask the victim was wearing and spat in his face. The attacker shouted “Hitler was right!” before running down Madison Ave.
The victim was rattled but unharmed, police said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force investigating.
Police search the area recovered surveillance footage of the suspect, who was wearing sunglasses, a bucket hat, black pants and a multi-colored shirt. He also had a cloth bag and was carrying two large bags and had a backpack on his back.
As of Sunday, the NYPD has investigated 240 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city this year, a 73% increase from the 138 recorded at this time last year. Many of the partisan incidents were spurred by heightened tensions over Israel ongoing war against Hamaswhich began on October 7, police believe.
The July 27 incident comes as hate crimes against Jews in New York State increased by 89% between 2018 and 2023, from 253 incidents to 477, according to a new study released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Last year, 44% of all recorded hate crime incidents targeted Jewish victims, the report says.
Anyone with information about the suspect in the July attack is asked to call Crime stopper at (800) 577-TIPS. All conversations will be kept confidential.