BROOKLYN, NY – The New York City Police Department is seeking public assistance in identifying a suspect linked to an arson hate crime at Shalom Japan restaurant, located at 310 South 4th Street. The incident, classified as an anti-Jewish hate crime by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force, occurred in the early hours of Saturday, November 18th.
According to reports, an unidentified individual approached the restaurant around 4:08 AM and deliberately set fire to two window tarps featuring the Jewish Star. The suspect, described as a male with a dark complexion and thin build, was last seen wearing black sneakers, a baseball hat, long pants, and a long jacket. He was observed fleeing the scene on foot towards Rodney Street and South 5th Street.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the building did not sustain structural damage.
The NYPD urges anyone with information about this incident to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline. The department has released media obtained from the incident location to aid in the identification of the suspect.