The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who allegedly attacked a Brooklyn father and his 18-month-old son on a playground on Nov. 7, pelted them with a cell phone and a cup of hot coffee and allegedly asked them if they were “terrorists.”
The NYPD confirmed to PEOPLE that the investigation is ongoing.
The 40-year-old victim, identified as Ashish Prashar, was wearing a black and white Palestinian scarf known as a keffiyeh at the time. He filmed the incident and later posted it on social networks. It’s still not known if anything sparked the incident, but Prashar can be heard saying “I’m wearing a scarf and I’m obviously being attacked because I’m a terrorist.”
An unseen witness can be heard saying, “I’m sorry what happened to you.”
According to a statement released by the NYPD, police were notified that “on Monday, November 7, 2023, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a 40-year-old male victim was at Edmonds Playground, near 196 DeKalb Avenue, when he was approached by an unknown female subject who allegedly made anti-Islamic statements.
An unknown woman was throwing a cell phone and a cup of hot coffee at him. The victim was not injured during this incident.”
The playground is connected to the public high school 113 Ronald Edmonds Learning Center, and two other elementary schools are also located in the building. None of these children are known to have witnessed the incident, although hate crime posters were seen on lampposts and trees around the playground in the following days.
Hate crime posters in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Sisters in Hate follows 3 white nationalists — and explains why one decided to leave
Prashar later asked supporters on Instagram to let the NYPD do its job, instead of trying to find the perpetrator online.
“Don’t take this into your own hands,” he wrote. “We never asked for it and we don’t want it. This is not revenge justice. The only way forward is for the detectives to do their job.”
According to the New York Times, hate crimes are on the rise in the city, with anti-Semitic crimes up 200% since the start of the Hamas-Israel war. Of the 101 incidents of bias in the city last month, 69 targeted the Jewish community.
A local Brooklyn parent told PEOPLE, “It’s sad that any of this is happening. This corner of the world has always felt like a safe space for people of all backgrounds to peacefully coexist. Hating others because of their beliefs or backgrounds is really against everything we teach our children here. We will not let one incident stop us from fostering love for one another.”
Teen Charged With Hate Crime After Stabbing O’Shae Sibley, New York Fashion Man Beyoncé
The Times also wrote that “earlier this week, New York lawmakers introduced a bill that expands the range of crimes that can be prosecuted as hate crimes and closes loopholes in existing laws. The bill responds to what state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal called “unprecedented increase in crimes motivated by prejudice against Jews, Muslims, Asian Americans and LGBTQ people.””
The individual at large in the playground attack is described as female, light-skinned and of small build. She was last seen wearing a black and white baseball hat, black sunglasses, a gray scarf, a black zip-up jacket, a black bag, black sweatpants and white sneakers.
Want to keep up with the latest crime reports? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for the latest crime news, coverage of ongoing trials and details on intriguing unsolved cases.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging on to the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education