Images of four individuals suspected of vandalizing several locations in Queens with Nazi graffiti have been shared by authorities, as religious figures labeled these anti-Semitic acts as “hatred against all of us.”
A video released by the NYPD on Tuesday depicts four young men in loose clothing strolling through the area during a vandalism spree that affected two Jewish neighborhoods, two residences, and a parked vehicle.
The alarming graffiti was noticed in the early hours of Monday, with vandals spray-painting swastikas on windows around 1:30 a.m. A woman was reportedly jolted from her sleep by a loud sound at that time, according to police.
Just moments earlier, one of the suspects defaced the front wall of the Mashan Chodosh synagogue with a swastika.
Police reported additional anti-Semitic graffiti at the Rego Park Jewish Center around 1:15 a.m. A 54-year-old man returned home at approximately 9 a.m. to find a swastika on his garage door.
A 68-year-old man discovered Nazi graffiti on his vehicle around 8:30 a.m., having parked it the night before.
A manhunt for the four suspects began after local religious leaders openly condemned these hateful actions.
“Hatred towards our Jewish brothers and sisters—and, well, hatred aimed at any group—is hatred towards all of humanity,” remarked Archbishop Ronald Hicks, the Commission Chairman, in a statement alongside Rev. AR Bernard Sr. and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik.
“Such behavior contradicts the core values of our faith traditions,” the statement continued. “Vandalizing places of worship, driven by anti-Semitism and other religious animosities, attacks our shared humanity and desecrates what is sacred.”
This vandalism incited strong reactions from various figures including Mayor Zoran Mamdani, City Council President Julie Menin, and Governor Kathy Hochul.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is currently looking into the matter.
If anyone has any information about the suspects or the events, they are encouraged to reach out to the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or 1-888-577-4782 for Spanish speakers.
