Vile anti-Semitism has once again reared its ugly head in the streets of Brooklyn. It was reported on Thursday evening, that police were searching for a woman who was caught on camera attempting to set fire to the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School building on Avenue J and East 16th Street in the Midwood section of the borough. Law enforcement authorities believe the woman in the surveillance video may be mentally ill and who has been seen in the area.
According to published reports, the attempted attack happened at 7:27 pm on Thursday evening and the African American woman in the video was dressed all in black and was carrying a red gasoline can.
The woman is described as approximately 5’4″ tall, with an average build, dark hair and wearing all dark-colored clothing, black shoes, and carrying a red gasoline canister.
Yeshiva World News reported that police told them that upon arriving in front of the Yeshiva of Flatbush building, the suspect began yelling anti-Semitic obscenities. She then poured gasoline on the sidewalk from a container that she was holding and set it on fire.
A security guard inside the school saw what was going on and he was able to put out the fire with water. The suspect fled before police arrived. The incident triggered a massive NYPD and Flatbush Shomrim response, according to the YWN report.
NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Kemper, Deputy Inspector Richie Taylor, NYPD 70th Precinct Captain Krystin Suares, Lieutenant Ira Jablon and Assistant Commissioner Pinny Ringel from the NYC Mayor’s Office were all on the scene working to ensure the investigating was moving as fast as possible, and have requested additional patrols so that the community should remain safe. Numerous NYPD Community Affairs officers were on the scene as well, as was reported by YWN.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the NYFD are investigating the fire, but detectives suspect the woman may be a mentally ill resident who lives nearby, so it is not clear if the case will remain a bias crime, according to an ABC7 News report.
They are also investigating whether the woman captured on surveillance is the same woman spotted shortly before the fire, carrying a red gas canister and yelling through a megaphone, on Nostrand Avenue and Ave J.
Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident.
Police are offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
If you have any information which can assist the investigation, please call 911 and the Flatbush Shomirm 24 hour emergency hotline at 718-338-9797.
