NEW YORK, NY – A 16-year-old male suspect, one of a group of individuals that attacked a Jewish man in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in February has been arrested and charged.
Police did not release the suspect’s name due to his age. He was also charged with a hate crime.
At approximately 8:25 p.m. on Sunday, February 19, Sam Levy, 48, was walking through Flushing Meadows Corona Park when he noticed the defendant and about five others. A defendant and one of the others separated from the group. They positioned themselves at opposite ends of the roundabout, forcing Levy to pass either one of them to leave it.
He turned and saw the defendant running towards him as Levy continued walking. Despite running, the defendant struck Levy in the back of the head. The others gathered around Levy as he lay on the ground. He ran away from his attackers, but the 16-year-old suspect caught up to him and struck him in the back of the head.
The teen then kicked Levy on the left side of his face, breaking his glasses and causing bruising and swelling to his left eye.
While Levy was trying to stand up, the defendant and others continued to kick him about the head, face, torso, and legs, demanding money from him. From his pocket, Levy removed approximately $200 and his wallet, which contained his identity and credit cards, and threw them toward him.
The defendant continued kicking Levy and yelled out, “___ Jew.” The group continued kicking Levy and then fled the location.
Levy was transported to a local hospital. As a result of the attack, he sustained bruised ribs, bruising and swelling to his left eye and experienced substantial pain to his torso, back and head.
In addition to shouting anti-Semitic slurs, the defendant and other suspects kicked a Jewish man who had been knocked to the ground while they kicked him.
“We respect the diversity of our Borough and affronts to that, especially violent ones, will not be tolerated. The defendant is being charged with not only the robbery, but for the assault as a hate crime for this cowardly alleged antisemitic attack,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
According to the complaint against the defendant, security camera video footage from a Burger King near the park shows the defendant, two other males and a female approximately three hours after the attack at a kiosk using what appear to be credit or bank cards. It has been determined that the cards belonged to Levy.