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New Jersey man charged with attempted murder after Orthodox Jews stabbed and hit with car
The suspect reportedly reportedly made antisemitic remarks as he was arrested
April 10, 2022 11:54
The suspect reportedly reportedly made antisemitic remarks as he was arrested
April 10, 2022 11:54A man has been charged with three counts of attempted murder after an Orthodox man was stabbed and two others rammed by a car in apparently antisemitic attacks in the Lakewood, New Jersey, area.
The suspect, Dion Marsh, reportedly made antisemitic remarks as he was arrested, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Local police said that at 1.15pm on Friday, officers were called after a man stole a vehicle in the heavily Orthodox area.
At 6pm, the carjacker drove into a man who was reportedly walking to synagogue. He was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Centre and is said to be in a stable condition.
At 6.55, an Orthodox man was stabbed. The victim was rushed to the same hospital and is listed as being in a critical but stable condition.
Then at around 8.20, officers from the nearby Jackson police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle in the Galassi Court area.
Responding officers were able to determine that the male victim had been struck by the same vehicle that was taken in the carjacking incident in Lakewood earlier in the day, police said.
The victim was also taken to Jersey Shore and his condition was reported as critical but stable.
The suspect, 27, was arrested at his home and has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and three accounts of bias intimidation.
A neighbour who witnessed the horrifying aftermath of the ramming attack, said: “When I got to the scene I thought he was dead. He was flat-out when I got there. He was talking but couldn’t move his legs.”
He told local paper The Lakewood Scoop he was praying when he saw a car with a “busted tyre” drive past.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘why doesn’t he pull over?’ Thirty seconds later, someone ran over screaming ‘call Hatzolah, call Hatzolah’.
“I ran into my house and grabbed my phone and by the time I got it someone had already called. I ran back to the scene where Hatzolah was. After that, police came and mapped out the area and was investigating.”
The Anti-Defamation League was “saddened and outraged” by the attacks.
In a statement, it said the suspect allegedly made antisemitic remarks following his arrest.
ADL New York and New Jersey director Scott Richman said “more needs to be done proactively to prevent violence against the Jewish community, and in particular, visibly identifiable Jews in Ocean County and across our region.
“Jews should not be afraid to freely go about their business without living in fear that they will be targeted for violence. The past few years have seen far too many assaults against Jews.”