Suspect nabbed in antisemitic attack with metal bat on S.I.

A hate crime suspect was nabbed Wednesday for bashing a stranger with a metal bat on a Staten Island street after calling him a “dirty Jew,” police said.

Obadiah Lashley, 29, was arrested one day after police blasted out images of the suspect in hopes someone might be able to lead them to him.

The attacker approached the 25-year-old victim on Grandview Ave. near Netherland Ave. in Mariners Harbor and asked, “Why are you a Jew?” about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, police said.

The assailant then spat, “You dirty Jew!” before smashing the victim in the back of the head with the bat, said police.

The attacker ran off and the victim was taken to Staten Island University Hospital to be treated for a cut to the head.

Lashley is charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon, aggravated harassment, menacing and assault.

He lives about a half mile from where the victim was attacked.

Lashley’s arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court was pending Wednesday.

Police Department data show that Staten Island’s 121st Precinct — where Lashley allegedly carried out his offense — saw nine hate crimes in 2023, little changed from the 10 hate crimes reported in the precinct in 2022.

But officers in the precinct had less success catching hate crime suspects. Officers in the 121st, which covers Staten Island’s northwestern shore, made three hate crime arrests in 2023, compared with nine in 2022.

Hate crimes, particularly those targeting Jewish people, exploded in the city following the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.

That month, hate crimes spiked 124% — with 101 incidents compared with 45 in October 2022 — according to NYPD data.

Of the 101 incidents reported citywide in October, 69 were antisemitic. That was a 214% increase over the 22 antisemitic hate crimes reported in October 2022, police said.

So far in 2024, there have been 49 hate crimes citywide, according to data released Sunday.

Last year during the same time, 48 people were victims of a hate crime.

The NYPD’s Brooklyn South command has seen the greatest spike in hate crimes so far this year, with a 350% uptick in 2024 compared with the same period of 2023, the data show.

Since Jan. 1, police in southern Brooklyn have investigated nine hate crimes compared with two in the same weeks in 2023.

NYPD Surveillance images of suspect made public before the NYPD arrested Obadiah Lashley, 29, who allegedly called 25-yearold victim a “dirty Jew” before hitting him in back of the head with bat.