Police Seeking Suspect In Vandalism Of Two Mosques

SUNSET PARK – Following an investigation, the NYPD has determined that the man suspected of smashing up an Islamic Center on 6th Avenue may also be responsible for a similar attack on another nearby mosque.

Approximately twenty minutes after the suspect used a hammer to smash a video camera and multiple windows at the Beit El-Maqdis Islamic Center located at 6224 6th Avenue (between 62nd & 63rd Streets) on Saturday, November 11, police believe the same man used a hammer to destroy the front doorbell, door knob, and mailbox of the United American Muslim Association of New York (Fatih Camii Mosque) located a short distance away at 5911 8th Avenue (between 59th & 60th Streets).

The NYPD has released surveillance video of the second incident.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams released a statement regarding the two incidents late Monday afternoon.

“Incidences of vandalism in Sunset Park at Beit El-Madqis Islamic Center and Fatih Camii Mosque are abhorrent to the values of our community,” Adams said. “I thank the NYPD for the diligent investigation of these attacks, which may be linked to the same individual. No hammer will shatter our spirit. The human spirit has the unbreakable ability to withstand any signs of hate and come together as one body of all faiths that says we stand together with these mosques, and with all people of this great borough. My Office of Faith-Based and Clergy Initiatives will expand its efforts to encourage all of our houses of worship to ramp up their safety measures, including camera systems and onsite security personnel.”

Anyone with information in regards to the above incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.