Police have released video footage of some of the suspects, and investigators are looking into whether several disturbing incidents of vandalism across New York City, including at the home of the Brooklyn Museum’s Jewish director, are connected.
Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, five hate-filled vandals stormed into museum director Anne Pasternak’s home on Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights, throwing red paint at the door and hanging a banner on the exterior foyer that read, “Anne Pasternak Brooklyn Museum White Supremacy Zionist.”
Her door also had an upside-down red triangle spray-painted on it, a symbol used in the past by Hamas to identify targets of Israeli forces.
Police say the shocking act, which has been widely condemned by elected officials, is being investigated as a hate crime.
The New York Police Department released surveillance video of five masked suspects wanted for vandalizing Pasternak’s building.
Authorities also released images and video of three of the four vandals who threw red paint at the German Consulate at United Nations Plaza in Manhattan around 3:30 a.m.
Police said the group fled the consulate in a dark-colored vehicle.
On Wednesday afternoon, the building was still smeared with horror-movie red paint.
Police sources said investigators were looking into whether the two incidents were linked to similar acts of vandalism across the city.
Hours before releasing the footage, the NYPD said there had been “several incidents” of people using a red liquid substance to vandalize buildings in different parts of the city.
A building on Douglas Street in Brooklyn was also targeted, with witnesses telling The Post they saw two men dressed all in black spray painting the building around 11 a.m.
“They spray painted it all red,” said the 25-year-old woman, who did not want to give her name.
“And I was really confused. That doesn’t happen in this neighborhood. It’s very quiet. It’s quiet and peaceful and everyone knows each other.”
Police said an Upper East Side apartment building and the United Nations Permanent Observer Mission to the State of Palestine were also vandalized Wednesday, and two American flags were burned in front of the Israeli Consulate General in Manhattan.
Brooklyn Museum trustees were also targets of vandals on Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Steven Vargo
