Wisconsin man accused of beating Hebrew-speakers

Alleged attacker denies striking the victims; says he thought they were speaking Spanish

MADISON, Wisconsin — A man was arrested on charges of battery with a hate crime enhancer for allegedly punching two men in Madison, Wisconsin, who were speaking Hebrew.

The Madison Police Department said 23-year-old Dylan T. Grall attacked the two men on a Madison street early Saturday. A news release says he swore at the men and demanded that they speak English, then struck them both in their faces.

Police said Grall, from nearby Janesville, denied punching the men, but acknowledged telling them to speak English. He told police he thought they were speaking Spanish.

A witness, cited in the police report, says he saw Grall punch the two.

One of them victims fell to the ground, police say, while the other had an eye that was nearly swollen shut.

One victim, 22, is from Skokie, Illinois, a heavily Jewish suburb of Chicago. The second man, 23, is from Milwaukee, according to the police report.

This incident occurred shortly after a high-profile anti-Semitic attack in Sydney, Australia, left five people hospitalized late Friday night.

Police said the five — four men, aged 66, 48, 39 and 27, and a woman, 62 — were walking from synagogue in the eastern Sydney suburb when a group of eight young men began shouting insults at them. Police said the comments were of a “derogatory” nature, according to The Australian daily.

Two 17-year-olds and a 23-year-old were arrested at the scene while the others allegedly fled. The teenagers were denied bail and are due to appear in children’s court on Sunday. The 23-year-old was released on bail and will appear in court in December.