The following is via CHI:

An 11-year-old African-American boy randomly accosted three Jewish teenagers and assaulted two of them this afternoon in Crown Heights.

The first incident occurred at around 2:00pm in the vicinity of President Street and New York Ave., where the suspect ran up to a teenaged Jewish boy and verbally accosted him, threatening to shoot him.

Shortly thereafter and in the same area, the suspect ran up to a second teenaged boy and asked him if he wanted to fight him. The boy responded in the negative and tried to continue on his way, at which point the assailant punched him in the face. The victim suffered bruising and a split lip.

The third incident occurred a short while later on Crown Street between New York and Brooklyn Aves., where the suspect approached a teenaged Jewish girl and punched her in the face without saying a word. The victim suffered bruising and swelling as a result of the assault.

The victim cried for help and within seconds Shomrim were called and were on the scene. They called the police who arrived shortly thereafter, and began searching for the suspect.

Officers from the 71st Precinct’s Anti-Crime unit identified the suspect nearby and stopped him for questioning. The teen girl victim was brought to the scene and she positively identified him as the assailant.

The suspect was arrested and taken down to the 71st Precinct.

Shomrim volunteers found the suspect’s other victim and brought him down to the precinct to give his statement. which was added to the criminal report.

After being interviewed by detectives from the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force they have decided to upgrade the charges to a hate crime.

(Source: CHI)