The individual responsible for the violent antisemitic assault on a bochur aboard a New York City subway train has been taken into custody by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. The arrest was made with critical assistance from Rabbi Yaacov Behrman and Crown Heights Shomrim, who helped advance the investigation following the attack.

The arrest follows a disturbing incident that unfolded earlier this week, when several bochurim from Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch were targeted while returning to Crown Heights after Chanukah kiruv activities in Manhattan.

According to firsthand testimony, the group had spent hours engaged in mivtzoim before boarding a No. 3 train back to Brooklyn. What should have been a routine commute quickly escalated into a terrifying confrontation.

Shortly after departing Manhattan, two men, believed to be a father and son, boarded the subway car and began directing vicious antisemitic slurs at the visibly Jewish bochurim. The verbal harassment intensified, creating an increasingly hostile environment inside the train.

Fearing for their safety and seeking to document the abuse, one of the bochurim began recording the encounter on his phone.

“That’s when everything changed,” the bochur later recounted. “As soon as the younger one realized I was filming, he attacked me.”

Video footage captured by another bochur shows the assailant physically striking the victim inside the subway car. Despite the violence, no passengers intervened.

“No one stood up. No one tried to stop it,” the bochur said.

One stop before reaching Crown Heights, the bochurim fled the train in panic.

“We ran off the train because we were afraid for our lives,” the bochur said. “Nobody helped us. We were completely alone.”

As they exited, the attacker reportedly made a gun gesture toward his head, further escalating the fear.

“I realized this could turn deadly,” the bochur said. “I put the phone in my pocket, but it was still recording. You can hear everything—the fear, the chaos.”

The bochurim ran directly to the nearest police precinct, where they filed a formal complaint. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force assumed control of the case, working closely with Crown Heights Shomrim and community advocates to identify and locate the suspect.

Law enforcement officials have not yet released the suspect’s name, but charges are expected to include felony assault with hate crime enhancements. The investigation remains ongoing.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)