A man accused of attacking two people during Friday night prayers at a New York City synagogue has been charged with a hate crime, police said.
Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, allegedly interrupted Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan on Friday evening before assaulting a 63-year-old woman and a 65-year-old security guard as he was being removed from the building.
The woman sustained an injury to her lip, while the security guard was spat on and headbutted, according to police. Montes, who is suspected of carrying out an antisemitic attack, also damaged synagogue property and left worshippers shaken during the incident, which was captured on a livestream.
The unsettling footage showed two women near the altar recoiling in fear, quickly gathering their belongings and moving away as the confrontation unfolded inside the synagogue.
In the pews, stunned congregants could be seen rising from their seats, some with mouths open in disbelief, as three people, including the security guard, escorted Montes out of the place of worship while he shouted.
As the disruption continued, attendees were urged to “please remain calm and in your seats.” Montes was ultimately escorted out by New York Police Department officers hired by the congregation to help protect the synagogue.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said additional officers will be assigned to the religious institution in response to the incident.
Two people were frightened during the prayer service after Larry Montes, 46, allegedly attacked attendees on Friday
They were in the middle of the service when the commotion happened. The women could be seen trying to back away from him
Other attendees were seen with their mouths agape in shock as Monte was dragged out by a security guard, whom he headbutted. He also injured a 63-year-old woman’s lip
‘I understand the sanctity of this space and its meaning for congregants. Central Synagogue is where I grew up,’ she wrote on X.
‘In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.’
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has previously denied allegations he is an anti-Semite over his stance on Israel, also released a statement condemning the attack, stating he was ‘horrified.’
‘I can only imagine the pain and fear an attack like this during Shabbat services causes for the congregation and for Jewish New Yorkers across our city,’ he wrote on X.
‘Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence. This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.’
Montes was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, Tisch announced.
There are nearly one million Jews living in New York City, making it the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.
Montes was arrested and charged with a hate crime for attacking two people inside the Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan on Friday
He was caught on livestream screaming as he was escorted out
He was arrested after being taken out of the building
Additional police services have been deployed to the historic synagogue. NYC has the largest population of Jews outside of Israel
Mayor Mamdani has been open about his desire to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he ever set foot in the Big Apple.
He has since conceded that he does not have the power to do so and that only the federal government would be able to make such an arrest.
New York rabbis have also reportedly asked the Democratic Socialist to tone down his anti-Israel rhetoric during a private meeting at City Hall this week, as antisemitic crimes are on the rise.
His wife Rama Duwaji has been accused of liking social media posts that celebrated or justified Hamas’s massacre of 1,200 Jews on October 7 2023.
