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Man charged with hate crimes after disrupting Shabbat at NYC Central Synagogue
By
Ryan Kost
Published Aug 15, 2026
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By
Ryan Kost
Published Aug 15, 2026
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A Bronx man faces 14 charges, including four counts of assault as a hate crime, after he disrupted Friday night services at Central Synagogue in Midtown, struck a congregant and headbutted a member of the temple’s security team, police said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the man as Larry Montes, 46, in a post on social media. He also faces criminal mischief, tresspass, harassment and “disruption of a religious service” charges, according to police.
Video of the incident spread quickly online. It shows a man moving down the synagogue's aisle, shouting as people in attendance rushed to get out of the way. Tisch said security was able to escort the man out, but as they did so, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged property and spit at and headbutted one of the guards.
An NYPD sergeant was working a paid detail at the site and arrested Montes. Those injured during the incident were evaluated at the scene and “doing well,” Tisch wrote.
“I have spoken with the rabbi of the synagogue, and I'm relieved that no one was seriously injured,” Tisch said in a statement. She described Central Synagogue as a place she “grew up.”
“In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace,” Tisch wrote. “What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene.”
The attack drew national attention within hours. Several of New York’s leading politicians were quick to speak out, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Council Speaker Julie Menin and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani — who some Jewish groups have blamed for anti-Jewish sentiment because of his statements criticizing Israel's government — also condemned what happened.
“This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe,” he wrote on social media.
Still, that didn’t stop his critics, including Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, from using the incident as an opportunity to criticize the mayor. “This is yet another chilling reminder that antisemitism does not belong to the past,” Danon wrote on X. “It is happening here and now, in the heart of New York.”
The incident comes just a few weeks after two men, one Jewish and one Asian, were stabbed on the Upper West Side. The suspect in those incidents, Raul Morales, was charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. And in May, vandals drew swastikas on synagogues, homes and Jewish center in Queens, drawing condemnation from city and state leaders.
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Race And Justice Unit
manhattan
public safety
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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