New York City police are searching for a man wanted in connection with a hate crime robbery that left a 20-year-old woman injured at a Brooklyn subway station last week.
Police say the incident happened around late morning on Mar. 17 at the 9th Avenue subway station in Borough Park, where the woman was standing on the D train platform.
An unidentified man allegedly approached her, made anti-Islamic remarks, grabbed her by the arms, and threw her to the ground. The attacker then smashed her cellphone by throwing it to the floor before fleeing the station, investigators said, according to ABC7NY.
The NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is leading the investigation and is treating the case as a suspected bias-motivated robbery and assault. Emergency medical personnel treated the woman at the scene for injuries from the fall. Officials said she did not require hospitalization.
Investigators have released surveillance images of the suspect and are asking for the public's help in identifying him. As of midweek, no arrests had been made, and detectives continue to review additional video from the station and surrounding streets. Police are working to trace the suspect's movements before and after the attack.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online or through the department's social media channels. Callers can remain anonymous, and rewards may be offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, Yahoo News reported.
Preliminary NYPD figures show hate crime incidents have risen sharply in early 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. The Hate Crime Task Force investigated 58 incidents citywide in January 2026, up from 23 in January 2025, a 152 percent increase, with 31 cases targeting Jewish New Yorkers and additional incidents involving Muslim, Asian, Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ victims.
Those early 2026 numbers continue a longer pattern of elevated hate incidents across New York. Analysis of NYPD data shows the average monthly number of anti-Jewish hate crimes has climbed steadily over the past five years, rising from about 17 incidents a month in 2021 to more than 27 in 2025.
Advocates warn that the trend reflects broader tensions and are pressing city leaders to sustain enforcement and prevention efforts.
Local and state officials have responded by expanding outreach, victim support, and coordination between law enforcement and community groups.
New York City's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes reports that Brooklyn has seen one of the largest increases in reported incidents, prompting calls for more targeted prevention and enforcement in neighborhoods along major transit lines, as per National Today.
