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NYPD releases video of pro-Palestinian vandals defacing US Rep. Adriano Espaillat's office

Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News on

Published in Political News

NEW YORK — Police released video Friday of two people sought in connection with an act of vandalism on Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s Washington Heights office that cops are calling hate crime criminal mischief.

The video shows two individuals, their faces covered by masks, who walk under the metal roll-down gate outside the office on W. 181st St. near Bennett Avenue to commit the vandalism. One of them, brandishing a hammer, swings it repeatedly at the plate glass window while another sprays black paint on the front door.

From off-camera, red paint can be seen splashing onto the lens of the surveillance camera posted between the gate and the building’s facade. “Free Gaza” was spray-painted outside.

Cops said the destruction took place around 3 a.m. Tuesday and that both suspects fled on foot.

On Monday, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Espaillat, the co-chairperson of the Latino-Jewish Congressional Caucus, issued a statement in support of the families of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 who are still being held in captivity.

On Oct. 1, after Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at the Jewish state, Espaillat said he stood with President Joe Biden “as America reaffirms Israel’s right and obligation to defend itself against terrorism.”

The New York Democratic congressional delegation, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hakeem Jeffries, Jerrold Nadler and Jamaal Bowman, released a statement Tuesday condemning the act, calling it “violence, harassment and intimidation” and noting that Rep. Espaillat’s office has been targeted and vandalized “several times” over the past month.

 

“The latest outrageous vandalism occurred on a day of solemn reflection to mark one year since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, murdering 1,200 civilians, including over 40 American citizens, and taking 251 hostages, including 12 Americans,” the statement read, in part.

On Nov. 20, 2023, CBS 2 News reported that someone had scrawled “Espaillat is complicit in genocide”, among other messages, on his office’s roll-down gate.

In September, the congressman’s office was hit again the night before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly, The Forward reported. Graffiti appeared on the building reading, “40K dead,” “terrorist” and “F—k Israel.”

Espaillat, currently in his fourth term in office, represents the 13th Congressional District, which includes Harlem, Upper Manhattan and several Bronx neighborhoods.

A spokeswoman for Espaillat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

_____


©2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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