Officials say a 34-year-old man attacked a Jewish barber with scissors at a Westchester barbershop and is now being charged with attempted murder as a hate crime.
An indictment against Ahmed Al Jabali, a resident of Yonkers, was brought to court on Friday, Oct. 4, for the attack on a Jewish barber at a business in Yonkers on Thursday, Aug. 29. This was revealed by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
The DA’s Office says that Al Jabali hit the victim in the face, body, arms, and hand with barber’s scissors on the day of the attack at his barbershop on Yonkers Avenue while yelling, “I want to kill you, you [expletive] Jew.”
The injured person then called the police and went to a nearby hospital to get medical care.
A short time after the attack, Yonkers Police caught Al Jabali. He is now being charged with:
- Two counts of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime;
- Second-degree attempted murder;
- Two counts of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime;
- First-degree attempted assault;
- Two counts of second-degree assault as a hate crime;
- Second-degree assault;
- Third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah condemned the attack:
“My office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to seek accountability and justice in cases of hate-based violence and ensure our communities that we will not tolerate acts of hate in any form,” Rocah said.
Al Jabali’s next court date is on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
