A Bronx man who disrupted Shabbat services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue now faces federal hate crime charges, escalating a case that began with state-level charges last week.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York filed a criminal complaint Tuesday charging Larry Montes, 46, with two counts of committing hate crimes and one count of damage to religious property resulting in injury, the office said. Montes had already been charged at the state level with assault and criminal mischief as hate crimes following his Aug. 14 arrest.
Prosecutors said Montes stood up during Friday evening services, approached the front of the sanctuary shouting "I am Hashem," and knocked over two candles and their holders, breaking them. As security escorted him out, he struck a woman, cutting her lip and bruising her arm, then headbutted a security guard while using a racial slur, according to the complaint. An NYPD sergeant working a paid detail at the synagogue took Montes into custody; officials said no one required hospitalization.
By the numbers:
- Hate crimes reported in New York City rose more than 9% in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to NYPD data.
- More than half of confirmed hate crimes this year targeted Jewish New Yorkers, who make up roughly 10% of the city's population.
The attack drew condemnation from city and state officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called the incident "horrifying" and said his administration would "do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe."
Montes remains held on state bond as the federal case moves forward; no federal court date has yet been announced.
