The New York Police Department is offering a reward of thousands of dollars for information leading to the arrest of a woman after a suspected arson attempt at a New York synagogue.
On May 19 at around 1.25am, a woman allegedly lit a book and a piece of cloth on fire and threw them through the gates of the Brotherhood Synagogue in downtown Manhattan.
The incident is now being investigated as a hate crime.
Police have released video footage of the woman believed to be responsible, and are offering a reward for up to $3,500 for any information that leads to her arrest.
WANTED for an Arson at 28 Gramercy Park South . #Manhattan @NYPD13pct on 5/19/22 @ 1:25 AM the individual approached the Brotherhood Synagogue and lit a book and a piece of cloth on fire and threw them through the Synagogue’s metal gate. Reward up to $3500 Call 1-800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/doutMAOIDT
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) May 21, 2022
She is seen in the CCTV footage wearing all-black clothing, a white baseball bat, and carrying a green bag.
Police added in a statement that there was no serious damage to the building according to the New York Post.
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Saturday afternoon condemned the attempted arson, with Executive Director Afaf Nasher saying in a statement: “Any attack targeting a house of worship must be condemned in the strongest terms possible, with the alleged perpetrator apprehended swiftly to face the full force of the law.
“Americans of all faiths and backgrounds must join together in challenging the growing bigotry we are witnessing nationwide.”
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s confidential Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
