The unhinged lunatic who stormed right into a Manhattan synagogue is a deranged serial robber who sources say informed cops “F–okay the Jews” after the hate-filled assault — however his aunt bizarrely claims he desires to be Jewish.
Larry Montes allegedly barged into Central Synagogue on Lexington Avenue and East fifty fifth Road on Friday round 6 p.m. throughout a Shabbat service — unleashing chaos on the peaceable place of worship.
The 46-year-old assailant allegedly slugged a 63-year-old lady, headbutted and spat on a 65-year-old safety guard who tried to intervene, and broke two spiritual candles valued at $20,000.
“He was being very boisterous, screaming and yelling,” in the course of the incident, a police supply mentioned.
The Bronx man was charged with two counts of assault as a hate crime and one rely of legal mischief as a hate crime and will probably be arraigned Saturday.
“I’ve spoken with the rabbi of the synagogue, and I’m relieved that nobody was significantly injured,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch mentioned in a press release, including that NYPD sources have been ramped up round the home of prayer.
Montes’ aunt Myriam Montes, who lives in Puerto Rico, informed The Submit that she believes he’s gone off the rails.
“I really feel horrible about what occurred to this younger man—my nephew. He’s had points relating to faith, however he didn’t act the best way he ought to have,” she mentioned in Spanish.
“He’s mentally traumatized due to his need to belong to that faith [Judaism]—that’s what he’s mentioned. Given what occurred, he won’t have been in his proper thoughts; he’s mentally traumatized.”
Myriam, who hasn’t spoken with Montes in about three months, mentioned his infatuation with the faith appeared to “escalate.”
“I informed him he needed to be cautious with that as a result of these issues are sacred — it’s a must to method them significantly,” she defined. “He wished to maintain finding out as a result of it appeared like he had a dream he was pursuing.”
She additionally blamed his psychological state on childhood trauma. His mom died throughout childbirth and he had bother dealing with what occurred to her, she claimed.
Montes’ Fb is flooded with posts about Israel and Judaism.
One picture depicts two fingers, one lined within the Puerto Rican flag and the opposite lined within the Israeli flag, reaching towards one another, whereas one other image reads: “Preserve Israel in your coronary heart.”
He’s additionally reposted movies that slam anti-Israel Mayor Zohran Mamdani, together with a clip of a girl evaluating Mamdani to an Iranian dictator.
Mamdani, who has been slammed for his lackluster responses to antisemitism within the metropolis, condemned Friday’s assault.
“This was a horrible assault at Central Synagogue yesterday night,” Mayor Mamdani mentioned throughout a press convention Saturday.
“We reject this with each fiber in our being. This can be a metropolis the place each single New Yorker needs to be secure, and Jewish New Yorkers ought to have the ability to go to their synagogue with out having to worry for his or her lives … We’re going to do every little thing in our energy to make sure that we’re uprooting antisemitism from throughout the 5 boroughs, guaranteeing it has no place within the metropolis that all of us name dwelling.”
Montes, who police say is a recognized emotionally disturbed individual, was arrested a minimum of twice earlier than for violent robberies.
On the Fourth of July 2023, he was charged with theft with a lethal weapon after he pulled a knife on an worker making an attempt to cease him from stealing $25 wi-fi headphones from a Greatest Purchase at 1280 Lexington Ave.
He additionally pummeled a 20-year-old employee within the head after trying to steal 4 deodorants from a CVS at 2833 Broadway in July 2019.
Cops found that Montes was carrying a crack pipe throughout that incident. He was charged with theft, legal possession of stolen property and legal possession of a managed substances.
“I feel his thoughts isn’t proper and that he wants good remedy,” Myriam mentioned.
