Hate crimes detectives are on the hunt for two men who shouted anti-immigration slurs at a man before assaulting him in Manhattan earlier this month.
The NYPD released photos and a video on Monday of the perpetrators sought for the hateful attack near 177 East Houston St., just off of Allen Street, on the Lower East Side at around 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 8.
Police sources said the two suspects approached the victim, a 26-year-old man, and made what the NYPD called “anti-immigration remarks indicative of bias based” on what they believed to be the man’s nationality.
The words then turned to violence, law enforcement sources said, when the duo physically assaulted the victim, punching him about the body and slashing his arm with a sharp object.
Following the attack, cops reported, the perpetrators took off on foot in an unknown direction.
The incident was reported to the 7th Precinct, which subsequently classified it as a hate crime, and turned the case over to the Hate Crimes Task Force for further investigation. The Sept. 8 attack occurred amid a nationwide crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration that has seen masked ICE agents seize individuals in courthouses, places of business, and other locations across the country.
Meanwhile, the victim was brought to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Through Sept. 28, the 7th Precinct had reported eight hate crimes year-to-date, down from 13 reported at the same point last year.
Police described one of the assailants as a man with a light complexion and a slender build believed to be 25 to 30 years of age and standing about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with short brown hair, brown eyes and a brown beard. He was last seen wearing a white plaid button-down shirt over a white t-shirt, tan pants and white shoes.
His cohort, cops said, was described as a man with a medium complexion and a slender build believed to be 25 to 30 years of age, also standing about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and having short brown hair, brown eyes and a brown beard. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored shoes.
Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
