A man accused of bursting into a Manhattan synagogue during Friday Shabbat services made antisemitic remarks to police after the alleged attack, telling officers that Jewish people were “swine,” prosecutors said as he was ordered held on bail late Saturday.
Larry Montes, 46, appeared for arraignment shortly before midnight in Manhattan Criminal Court on hate crime charges. Judge Janice Chan set bail at $10,000 cash and $30,000 in bonds, below the amount sought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which had requested $50,000 cash and $150,000 in bonds.
Assistant District Attorney Ali Fazal said Montes allegedly acknowledged to police that the incident at Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue was driven by religion, and that he referred to people inside the house of worship as “swine” and “fake Jews.”
Prosecutors also told the court that Montes expressed hostility not only toward Jewish people but also toward Black people.
According to the prosecution, the 46-year-old said he acted “on instinct” and told investigators that “he was mad.”
Montes, who is from the Bronx, was charged Friday evening with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime.
Authorities said the incident unfolded around 6 p.m. Friday, when Montes allegedly entered Central Synagogue during Shabbat services and caused a violent disruption.
Prosecutors allege he punched a 63-year-old female congregant, headbutted and spat on a 65-year-old security guard, and smashed two religious candles valued at $20,000 before police took him into custody.
He also allegedly yelled “f–k the Jews,” sources said.
Judge Chan issued orders of protection for both the congregant and security guard as well as an employee and security officer of the synagogue who tried to protect the candles and helped escort Montes out of the building.
In a statement to The Post, the Simon Wiesenthal Center said Friday’s attack at Central Synagogue “is not just a crime; it is a chilling reminder of the vulnerability that has shadowed Jewish life for generations.
“For Jews in New York, the sanctuary of the synagogue is meant to be a refuge, not a place where faith and fear are forced into uneasy proximity,” the statement said in part.
Montes, who police say is a known emotionally disturbed person, was arrested at least twice before for violent robberies in 2019 and 2023.
He is due back in court on Aug. 20.
