Police arrested a man who was known to Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey after he repeatedly rammed his car into Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights on Wednesday night, four or more times, The New York Post reported.
The attack unfolded at 8:45 p.m. during Yud Shevat, a major holy observance commemorating 75 years of the current rebbe's leadership, that attracted thousands of congregants from around the globe to the Brooklyn facility.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch declared at a late-night briefing that the department's hate crime task force is reviewing the incident. Footage shared on social media platforms shows the vehicle reversing and driving into a side entrance multiple times while the religious celebration continued inside.
Responding officers discovered the vehicle had struck the doorway of a sloped driveway at the Eastern Parkway location. Video evidence shows the doors sustained severe damage, with the hinges completely torn from their frames. The repeated collisions caused substantial structural harm to the entrance area.
After the final impact, the driver climbed out of his car and reacted angrily as witnesses gathered around. Video footage captures his confrontational state. "I dunno, it slipped! It slipped, you f**king a**hole!" the driver screamed at a Jewish witness while making wild hand movements toward his vehicle.
A car just drove into the side doors of 770 at Chabad Headquarters. Baruch Hashem, there are no injuries. Witnesses report the driver yelled for people to move as he drove in. It appears intentional. The synagogue has been evacuated as a precaution.
Please stay away from the… pic.twitter.com/ljsoZ0sIE7
— Yaacov Behrman (@ChabadLubavitch) January 29, 2026
Witnesses positively identified the man as the driver to arriving officers, leading to his quick detention. The arrest occurred shortly after the final collision. Following his arrest, the driver claimed to officers he experienced some kind of mechanical problem and made no statements suggesting terrorism, sources revealed. His explanation contradicted what witnesses observed.
Several people told The New York Post they had seen the driver loitering near the Brooklyn Chabad before he accelerated toward the entrance. They also recognized him from visits to other Chabad centers in New Jersey over the past few months.
"He was always asking people for help. They called the police on him before," one witness recounted. His pattern of concerning behavior at Jewish facilities had been documented. A source remembered encountering the man last November at a Garden State synagogue "looking for spiritual guidance." His requests for assistance had become increasingly frequent.
Mamdani outside 770:
"Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable."
Police Commissioner Tisch said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime and the NYPD has increased security around all synagogues. pic.twitter.com/9BBTkpSoyK
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) January 29, 2026
"He was very learned – he knew a lot about the Bible and Judaism. He was having a hard time with life," the source noted. His extensive religious knowledge contrasted with his apparent personal difficulties. Another source disclosed that the suspect's claims about his Jewish background shifted repeatedly. Sometimes he said his mother was Jewish; other times he "pretended to be Jewish" himself.
The driver appeared at a New Jersey yeshiva on Tuesday, possibly attempting to arrange a conversion, but was denied, sources told The New York Post. This rejection came just 24 hours before the synagogue attack.
"This is a very serious incident – it's very frightening. We know how dangerous it is to be Jewish today worldwide," Yaacov Behrman, who speaks for Chabad, said. "We're concerned about what this person intended to do, and we're waiting for assurances from the police department that the area is safe," he stated.
A 20-year-old student named Shlomo noticed the suspect standing outside the Chabad in below-freezing conditions dressed only in shorts, an unzipped hoodie, and a T-shirt before the ramming began. The clothing choice in extreme cold caught his attention.
"He seemed a little not with it, you know, because it's below zero over here, and he was wearing shorts and like a T-shirt, and open hoodie, and like just standing there, outside the synagogue for at least 15, 20 minutes," Shlomo recounted.
Officials evacuated the synagogue following the collision. Police and community representatives confirmed no injuries occurred.
I am at 770 Chabad World Headquarters in Crown Heights, where a man intentionally, and repeatedly, crashed his car into the building. I am relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident.
This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 29, 2026
Tisch told reporters the NYPD will "significantly increase" security around houses of worship in all five boroughs. The expanded measures represent a direct response to the attack. City residents should anticipate an "enhanced uniformed presence" featuring specialized units, counterterrorism personnel, and bomb squad teams at religious facilities where warranted, Tisch explained.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrived at the scene late Wednesday alongside Tisch after noting in an X post that the driver's actions appeared deliberate. Top city officials mobilized rapidly.
"I am relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident. This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and the history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world," Mamdani stated at the press conference.
"Any threat to a Jewish institution, or a place of worship, must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city. The violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable," Mamdani added.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her office will work alongside the NYPD on the investigation. James previously represented Crown Heights as a city council member serving the 35th District.
"I know this community very closely and deeply. They are part of my family, and I am blessed, and this community is blessed that no one was injured," James told reporters. "This was a holiday, a Chabad holiday, and there were thousands of individuals who came to 770 Eastern Parkway headquarters from all over the world," she stated.
