New York police (illustration)
New York police (illustration)Reuters

Hours after a Jewish man was stabbed in Crown Heights overnight Tuesday, a second attack against a Jew took place in the same area on Wednesday morning.

According to WABC news in New York, an Orthodox Jewish man was punched and had his cell phone knocked from his hand as he was walking to a synagogue around 5:45 a.m.

Police have arrested a suspect in the case, named as 36-year-old Christian Rojas of Brooklyn, and was charged with assault as a hate crime, aggravated harassment as a hate crime and assault.

Rojas, who appeared disturbed and possibly drunk, reportedly said to the victim that he was "tired of Jews" as he attacked him, police said.

The victim had a bloody nose, but refused medical attention, according to WABC.

An eyewitness to the incident told NBC New York that Rojas screamed, "Watch this face, I'll be back" and "I hate all Jews."

After he was handcuffed, Rojas allegedly made several anti-Semitic comments.

In the earlier attack, also in Crown Heights, an Emergency Medical Services worker for Jewish medical group Hatzolah was stabbed by a masked man who fled the scene. The EMS worker was listed in serious condition.

Police do not think the two incidents are related, according to WABC, but are treating both attacks as hate crimes.