BRONX, N.Y. (WPIX) — At least four New York City synagogues were vandalized — some targeted more than once — over two days, police said Sunday, prompting Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take action.
According to police, the attacks involved an unknown person breaking glass windows or doors of the synagogues, all of which are located in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale.
Two of the incidents happened within 10 minutes of each other early Friday morning.
A suspect was seen throwing two rocks at the Riverdale Jewish Synagogue around 12:25 a.m., police said. Then, someone was seen throwing rocks at the front doors of the Riverdale Jewish Center around 12:35 a.m., causing them to shatter, police said.
On Saturday around 11:10 p.m., someone broke the windows at the Riverdale Jewish Synagogue, the site of the first attempted attack, police said.
About 10 minutes later, the windows at the Conservative Synagogue were smashed, police said.
Then around 11:30 p.m., the windows of Young Israel of Riverdale were also broken, police said.
The Riverdale Jewish Center was then targeted again at 11:45 p.m., according to the NYPD. Police said this time, the windows were smashed.
Cuomo said Sunday that he was appalled by the vandalism. He has directed the state Hate Crimes Task Force to aid in the New York Police Department’s investigation.
“We have no tolerance for discriminatory acts that seek to divide us rather than bring us together. I am directing the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to immediately offer assistance in the investigation being conducted by the NYPD,” the governor said. “We stand with Jewish New Yorkers — an essential part of the fabric of our state — as we do with all victims of bigotry, and I look forward to seeing this investigation resolved quickly.”
No arrests had been made in any of the cases as of Sunday afternoon.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).