A miscreant who attacked a Jewish man at a Walmart in near Boca Raton, Florida, is potentially facing federal hate crime charges, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says.

According to prosecutors, 34-year-old Daniel Scanlan struck an older Orthodox Jewish man from behind, grabbed his yarmulka, and spewed an anti-Semitic slur at him. He then spat in the yarmulka, threw it to the ground, and again struck his Jewish victim.

A female bystander who attempted to intervene had her cellphone snatched from her hands and thrown to the ground, causing minor lacerations to her left elbow. The suspect then unleashed a furious tirade of sexist insults at her.

Scanlan was quickly picked up by police and now faces two count of robbery without firearm and two counts of battery on a person 65 years or older, with hate crime charges likely in the offing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)