Two men were arrested in Monticello, New York on Sunday after they allegedly drove a vehicle into a crowd of Hassidic Jews standing outside a local bakery, Times Herald-Record reported.
Esai Diaz, 21, who was driving a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder, tried to hit the crowd, while his accomplice, Brandon Morales, 20, who was seated in the front passenger’s seat reportedly yelled, “Go home, go back to your (expletive) Jews.”
“Nobody was hit,” said a police officer who arrived at the scene. “People did feel that Diaz deliberately drove at them.”
Police said Morales then got out of the car and punched a Jewish man in the arm. When the two men attempted to flee, the car stalled and the suspects fled on foot.
Diaz was charged with felony reckless endangerment, while Morales was charged with felony aggravated harassment and another harassment violation. According to the police, Diaz’s license has been suspended multiple times.
They were arraigned before Monticello Justice Josephine Finn and taken to the Sullivan County Jail on $2,500 bail.