Police guard solidarity event after Monsey attack
Police guard solidarity event after Monsey attackReuters

U.S. authorities on Monday uncovered evidence that Thomas Grafton, charged with committing the stabbing attack in the New York City rabbi's home, acted out of anti-Semitic motives. Federal prosecutors indicted him for a "hate crime", reports Mako News.

U.S. officials examining his cell phone found that Grafton was looking for information on Nazi culture, swastikas, anti-Semitic ideas, locations of Jewish synagogues around him, and also asked the question: "Why did Hitler hate the Jews?"

Yesterday it was announced that Grafton denied the charges against him. The court decided on a $5 million bail, and another hearing will be held Friday. In the meantime, security in Jewish neighborhoods in New York was beefed up for now.

Authorities also said there are investigations into whether Thomas was linked to another incident in which a man was attacked near another Jewish center in Monsey, according to a law enforcement official. The New York Post reported authorities are investigating a connection between the accused and the case where a father of four was attacked while walking outside a religious center on November 20.