A Manhattan man has pleaded guilty to a hate crime and assault after he hurled glass bottles and shouted antisemitic slogans at a Jewish pedestrian on the Upper West Side in 2024.

Myles Utz, 31, entered the guilty plea after previously pleading not guilty to charges stemming from the June 16, 2024 incident, according to court records.

Prosecutors say Utz targeted a 25-year-old Jewish man who was wearing a yarmulke near the busy intersection of West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, an area known for its large Jewish population. During the confrontation, Utz allegedly yelled antisemitic slurs and shouted “Free Palestine” before throwing two glass bottles at the victim.

“The man moved out of the way to avoid being hit and the bottles shattered on the ground,” prosecutors said in describing the incident.

Video footage that circulated widely on social media at the time captured Utz approaching a 74-year-old Jewish man wearing a yarmulke, yelling “Free Palestine” and spitting at him during the encounter.

Police arrested Utz more than a month later, on July 25, 2024.

A court has now sentenced Utz to three years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $375 in fees and must complete virtual treatment through the Queens Center for Change, according to court records.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)