A string of attacks that targeted synagogues across New York City\u00a0over the weekend are being investigated as possible hate crimes, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The six attacks from Friday to Sunday at Bronx-area synagogues are being investigated by the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force. Surveillance footage released by police appears to show the same man may have been involved in several of the attacks and police are seeking him\u00a0for questioning.<\/p>\n
The attacks come amid a wave of violence across the country, including a spate of mass shootings\u00a0and hate crimes that have targeted Asian Americans\u00a0\u2013\u00a0including a Friday night incident in East Harlem in which a 61-year-old Chinese American was\u00a0attacked from behind, knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked in the head, surveillance video showed.<\/p>\n
Two of the New York City synagogue attacks happened Friday, three on Saturday and another on Sunday, NYPD Detective\u00a0Denise Moroney said. Each happened late in the evening or in the early morning hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n
pic.twitter.com\/n73iWmK1FF<\/p>\n
In each incident, police say a man broke windows at the\u00a0synagogues. He was captured on surveillance footage wearing dark-colored clothing and hurling rocks at windows in at least one of the attacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Riverdale Jewish Center was struck multiple times, and windows were also shattered\u00a0at the\u00a0Young Israel of Riverdale and the\u00a0Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a statement to USA TODAY, Riverdale Jewish Center said its leaders\u00a0were working with law enforcement to ensure the safety of their facilities and help find the person responsible. Nobody was injured.<\/p>\n
“The fact that someone would specifically and repeatedly target houses of worship is of great distress to us all,” the statement read. “An act of hate such as this is simply unacceptable.”<\/p>\n
Additional photos of individual wanted for questioning for multiple acts of vandalism of synagogues in @NYPD50Pct in Riverdale. <\/p>\n
\u260e\ufe0f or DM @NYPDTips 1-800-577-TIPS if you have any information. pic.twitter.com\/PSuhx9UaJ6<\/p>\n