Scammer Steals Cash, Assaults Two People In Blood Boiling Crown Heights Assaults

by CrownHeights.info

It’s a story that should make your blood boil.

Two Crown Heights men, doing nothing more than using the Eastern Parkway pedestrian island to get around, were assaulted and robbed Wednesday in an incident that is presently being investigated as a possible hate crime.

The incident began as an unsuspecting Jewish man in his 20’s was riding an electric scooter on the pedestrian island of Eastern Parkway near Troy Ave Wednesday, when a man suddenly threw himself in the way of the scooter. Traveling at speed, the Jewish man went flying, colliding with the man and opening gashes on his chin and lip.

The man who threw himself in the way of the scooter was “incensed”, and began a profanity laced tirade that petrified the already dazed Jewish victim. Threatening to kill him, his family, and saying many other horrible things, the man claimed that the collision caused him to drop his phone, which broke, and that his Jewish victim was responsible to pay for it.

The scam, known as the broken bottle scam, is nothing new to the community, but what followed should make every Crown Heightser demand immediate action.

Dazed and scared, the Jewish victim, took out his wallet which was quickly snatched by the scammer. The man took $300 in cash from his victim and continued making demands.

Another Jewish man, walking nearby noticed the victim, covered in blood and being harassed and threatened by the attacker, and decided that he would attempt to help and record the encounter. Pulling out his phone he was noticed by the attacker who quickly turned his attention on him.

The Jewish witness just had time to ask what was going on when the attacker began assaulting him, punching him twice in the head and forcing him to back off. The attacker then returned his attention to his first victim.

Not convinced to leave, the Jewish witness again pulled out his phone and attempted to record what was going on, and the attacker began chasing him again, this time punching him multiple more times and forcing him to run for his life.

The attacker then fled from Eastern Parkway up Troy Avenue towards Lincoln Place and disappeared.

Crown Heights Shomrim was called over an hour later, and officers from the NYPD’s 77th Precinct who took the shocking report pointed out the possible hate crime aspect to the incident and referred the case to the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force.

Hatzalah was called and both victims of the assaults required medical attention, one of whom required the attention of plastic surgeon.

The broken bottle scam isn’t anything new, but this incident took the scam to a significantly higher level and should make every Crown Heightsers blood boil.