A man has been charged with hate crimes following an attack during Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan that left two people struck as he was removed from the service, New York police said.
Police said the incident occurred on Friday night during a livestreamed service and that a police sergeant working as a paid security guard at the synagogue promptly detained the suspect. No one was reported seriously injured.
Charges and alleged actions
The suspect, identified by police as Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, faces a series of charges including two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other offences, according to a statement from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
| Defendant | Age | Location | Principal charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Montes | 46 | Bronx | Two counts assault as a hate crime; one count criminal mischief as a hate crime; additional charges |
Commissioner Tisch said that as synagogue security were escorting the man out, he "struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and head-butted a member of the security team."
"As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and head-butted a member of the security team."
Official reaction and community response
The assault was widely condemned by political leaders. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the event as "horrifying" on social media and stressed that "every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence." Other senior officials to denounce the attack included Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Chuck Schumer.
Congregational leaders said services continued the following day with additional police protection in place. Rabbi Rebecca Thau, addressing worshippers, reflected on the difficulty of holding communal ritual amid threats from the outside world, saying the sanctuary's sense of sanctity had been interrupted by "the imperfect and cruel world."
"We might want to be focusing on the beauty of our liturgy and the sanctity of Shabbat, and somehow the feeling of the imperfect and cruel world keeps flooding in," Rabbi Rebecca Thau told congregants.
Security and legal context
The swift intervention by a police sergeant assigned as a paid security detail is likely to figure in both the public discussion and any internal reviews of how religious sites are protected. In recent years US law enforcement has placed renewed emphasis on safeguarding places of worship amid rising reports of religion-related violence.
- Immediate detention: A police sergeant on a paid detail detained the suspect at the scene.
- No serious injuries: Authorities reported that no one was seriously hurt.
- Enhanced security: Extra police presence was deployed for subsequent services.
Under US law, hate crime statutes add specific penalties when an offence is motivated by bias against a protected characteristic, such as religion. Police statements establishing alleged actions are part of the charging decision, but any defendant is entitled to due process and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Prosecutors will now consider the charges alongside evidence gathered by investigators. The public condemnation from elected officials and the congregation's decision to continue worship under added security underline the wider implications of the incident for communal life and for debates about protection of religious minorities in urban settings.
Further court proceedings will determine how the case progresses and whether additional charges are brought. For now, the focus for congregants and city officials remains on ensuring safety at places of worship while the criminal justice process unfolds.
