Man who official says has past mental health issues faces hate crime charges after disrupting service at Manhattan synagogue
Federal and State Hate Crime Charges Filed Against Man Who Disrupted Shabbat Service at Manhattan Synagogue
Qwenews.com – Larry Montes, a 46-year-old Bronx resident with a documented history of mental health issues, was arrested following a violent disruption of Friday night Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Manhattan. Officials confirmed he faces multiple federal and state hate crime counts after injuring a congregant and damaging property inside the building.
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that Montes has been charged with two federal counts of committing hate crimes and one count of destruction of religious property resulting in bodily injury. Under federal sentencing guidelines, each hate crime count carries a maximum of 10 years behind bars, while the religious property count carries up to 20 years, the Justice Department stated.
Separately, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office filed additional state hate crime charges. Montes was arraigned Saturday night, at which point a judge set bail at $10,000 cash plus $30,000 in bonds. Conviction on the state counts could result in a sentence ranging from five to 15 years, according to the DA's office, which also said it has sought full temporary orders of protection for the victims.
What Happened Inside the Synagogue
A law enforcement official briefed CNN on the sequence of events. Montes entered during the service and sat quietly for approximately 10 minutes before rising and moving toward a section of the building not open to the public. Security officers moved to question him at that point, and he responded by striking at two candles—each valued at roughly $10,000—with his bare hands, the official said.
When Montes attempted to push toward the rabbi, security escorted him out. During that process, he attacked a woman in the congregation and struck a member of the synagogue's security team, also yelling a racial slur at the guard, the official recounted. Commissioner Jessica Tisch, speaking on X, added that Montes "damaged synagogue property" and spat at and headbutted the security team member as he was led from the building.
A 63-year-old woman sustained a small cut to her lip and injuries to her right forearm after being struck, an NYPD spokesperson told CNN. Investigators have found no evidence that Montes was specifically targeting any individual inside the synagogue, the law enforcement official noted. Montes also carries several sealed prior arrests, some involving robberies, according to the same official.
Witnesses Describe a Moment of Panic
A clip from the synagogue's livestream, obtained by CNN affiliate WCBS, captured congregants scrambling as shouts of alarm filled the room. A security guard restrained the man as he barreled down the aisle, the footage showed.
"He was screaming and yelling. I heard a loud pop … We thought it was a gun," Susan Roane, who was present at the service, told WCBS.
Another congregant, Arlynn Greenbaum, said she saw the suspect was unarmed yet still ducked for cover.
"He was just ranting and raving and yelling," Greenbaum told WCBS. "He was very full of hate."
Broader Context and Official Responses
The precise motivation behind Friday's assault remains unclear, but it lands amid a surge in reported antisemitic violence across the United States. Last year marked a record high for such attacks, including the first fatality since 2022, according to a report published by the Anti-Defamation League.
"Larry Montes' targeted acts of violence on a congregant, security guard, and synagogue during a Shabbat service are deeply disturbing," said James Barnacle Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI New York field office. "The FBI condemns any incident driven by bias or hate, and we commend the swift actions of the security personnel and first responders. Hate crimes have no place in New York, and we remain steadfast in protecting every community."
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose relationship with segments of the city's Jewish community has been strained by his pointed criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza, moved quickly to condemn the incident.
"This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe," Mamdani wrote on X Friday night, adding that New Yorkers must be free to observe their religion without fear of violence.
In a follow-up post Saturday announcing the charges, Mamdani expressed gratitude to Central Synagogue's security team for acting swiftly to prevent further violence, and to the NYPD sergeant who apprehended Montes and took him into custody. He closed by stating that his administration would always stand against bigotry in all its forms.
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