Man charged with hate crime for yelling slurs at Jewish couple in New York
Suspect with five prior arrests abuses couple in Manhattan; incident comes amid surge in anti-Semitic violence in the city
Jewish girls walk by a police car stationed in the Crown Heights neighborhood, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Police have increased patrols in the area following anti-Semitic attacks in the city and on an attack of a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A man was arrested for yelling and cursing at a Jewish couple in midtown Manhattan near Times Square.
Vernon Stevens, 55, who has at least five prior arrests, was charged with aggravated harassment and a hate crime, police told the New York Post.
The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. on Friday. When a 16-year-old witness went to alert nearby police officers on patrol, Stevens called the couple “F***ing Jews!” unnamed sources told the Post.
The incident comes amid an increase in anti-Semitic violence against Jews in the city.
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