Confrontation captured on synagogue livestream as Shabbat services began
Manhattan federal prosecutors have charged Larry Montes with hate crimes alleging he attacked a 63-year-old woman and a security guard at Central Synagogue during Shabbat services on Friday evening.
Prosecutors charged Montes with two counts of committing hate crimes and one count of damage to religious property resulting in bodily injury. He is also facing state-level hate crime charges from the same incident, according to authorities.
Authorities allege Montes struck the 63-year-old woman as security personnel tried to remove him from the Manhattan synagogue.
He is also alleged to have spat at and head-butted a member of the synagogue’s security team.
The encounter damaged synagogue property, and the 63-year-old woman suffered a cut to her lip and a forearm injury, prosecutors said.
An NYPD sergeant assigned to Central Synagogue intervened immediately and arrested Montes.
The incident occurred after 6 p.m. on Friday as Shabbat services were getting started.
The alleged attack was visible on a livestream of the services, which showed a man yelling as a security guard attempted to restrain him and take him out of the building.