The incident is not being investigated as a hate crime.

By JNS staff

A father and son were attacked while returning from synagogue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Saturday afternoon by a man with scissors, who attempted to cut off one of the victim’s ears.

Antisemitism is not seen as the motive, but rather it is considered a case of mental illness, Rabbi Yaakov Behrman, a liaison for Chabad headquarters, said on social media.

“This incident is not being investigated as a hate crime but highlights the ongoing mental health and crime crisis in New York State,” Behrman posted to X. “It’s unacceptable for such things to happen in broad daylight on a busy street.”

Shocking video footage of the incident. https://t.co/ykq8vUAvt2 pic.twitter.com/BKOPOVyboT

— Yaacov Behrman (@ChabadLubavitch) February 9, 2025

The incident took place in the area of Union Street and Troy Avenue, according to crownheights.info, a Chabad website covering local news.

“Video of the incident showed the attacker come up behind one of his victims and reach for his right ear while holding something in his hand,” the report said.

The victims escaped after a brief struggle, with one reporting minor injuries.

The attacker fled toward Eastern Parkway and was seen dropping the weapon down a storm drain before police arrived.

“@NYPD71Pct [the 71st Precinct]immediately responded and apprehended the perp, who was later transferred to the hospital after appearing unstable,” Behrman wrote.

The suspect is under arrest and will face felony charges.