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By Joe Edwards
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A Bronx man has been charged with hate crimes following an attack during Friday evening Shabbat services at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan, according to police officials.
Larry Montes, 46, was taken into custody after allegedly disrupting the service, striking a congregant, and assaulting a security staffer, according to New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
New York City is home to the largest urban Jewish population in the world outside of Israel.
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Friday's incident comes as antisemitism remains the most frequently reported bias category in the city. NYPD data shows 330 antisemitic incidents were reported last year, representing 57 percent of all suspected hate crimes recorded by the department.
The Incident
The disturbance began at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Friday. As synagogue security personnel attempted to escort Montes from the building, he allegedly struck a member of the congregation, damaged property, and spat at and headbutted a member of the security team, according to Tisch.
An NYPD sergeant working a paid detail at the synagogue immediately intervened and detained the suspect. Police confirmed there are no known additional threats, though extra NYPD resources were deployed to the area following the incident.
In a statement to Newsweek on Saturday morning, an NYPD spokesperson said a 63-year-old woman sustained a minor cut to her lip and injuries to her right forearm during the altercation.
Montes, a resident of the Grand Concourse neighborhood, faces more than a dozen charges, including four counts of assault as a hate crime, two counts of assault, criminal mischief as a hate crime, criminal mischief, disruption of a religious service, criminal trespass as a hate crime, two counts of aggravated harassment, and two counts of harassment, the NYPD spokesperson told Newsweek.
In a statement on Facebook on Friday, Central Synagogue wrote: "We are grateful to so many of you who have reached out in support after the disturbing events tonight during services. For now, we are only saying this: thanks to our security team. Thanks to Commissioner Tisch and the NYPD."
It continued: "And yes, we will keep on gathering for joyful, meaningful Judaism with our Central family every week."
Montes allegedly admitted to police that his actions were religiously motivated and called those worshiping inside the synagogue "swine" and "fake Jews,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Ali Fazal said at a hearing, the New York Post reported.
Prosecutors said the Bronx resident also admitted to acting “on instinct” and said that “he was mad.”
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Witness Accounts and Aftermath
Witnesses described panic inside the synagogue. A clip from the synagogue’s livestream, obtained by WCBS News, showed congregants scrambling as shouts erupted and a security guard restrained the man as he moved down the aisle.
"He was screaming and yelling," congregant Susan Roane told the station. "I heard a loud pop... We thought it was a gun."
Another congregant, Arlynn Greenbaum, described the suspect as unarmed but "ranting and raving and yelling" and "very full of hate."
Services resumed shortly after the suspect was taken into custody.
Montes was ordered held on $10,000 bail at his arraignment late Saturday, the Post reported.
After his arrest, prosecutors said Montes has prior criminal history from June 2026 and June 2024 that included stealing headphones at a Best Buy where he “brandished a knife” when a security guard tried to stop him, according to the newspaper.
However, the 46-year-old's public defender said his client's criminal history related to misdemeanors, adding that he participated in a program and “came to over 20 appearances for almost every month, for two years, on that case.”
Officials Condemn the Attack
Tisch stated that she spoke with the synagogue’s rabbi and expressed relief that no major injuries occurred. Those evaluated at the scene have since recovered. Tisch, noting that she grew up attending the Central Synagogue, added that "a place of worship should never be a crime scene."
On X, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the attack "appalling," adding that "Jewish New Yorkers have every right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear. I’m grateful the suspect is in custody and that no one was seriously injured."
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has had a strained relationship with some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, condemned the incident on X, writing: “I am horrified by the assault at Central Synagogue during services today.” He added that “every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence” and called the incident a “despicable act” with “no place in our city and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X that "Antisemitism is real and it’s increasing by the day. No American, regardless of their religion, should feel unsafe in a house of worship. I thank the NYPD for their quick actions to apprehend the suspect last night at Central Synagogue."
He added: "We must come together to ensure that no space is left for these types of antisemitic beliefs or acts. All New Yorkers and all Americans must be able to worship freely with no fear of danger for themselves or their families."
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Matthew Robinson and Anthony Murray.
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