On an otherwise routine Tuesday at the 9th Avenue D train station, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly grabbed, thrown to the ground and hit with anti-Islamic slurs, according to police. Investigators say the attacker also damaged her cellphone during the assault. EMS treated the woman at the scene. The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is now on the case and asking anyone who knows something to speak up.
Police describe the attack
As reported by News 12 Brooklyn, the incident happened on March 17 on the D-train platform at the 9th Avenue station. Police say a man approached the woman, made anti-Islamic remarks and then assaulted her, grabbing her by the arms and throwing her to the ground. Officers say he also seized her cellphone and threw it, damaging the device. The NYPD is asking anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. No arrests have been announced.
Investigation and citywide context
Civil-rights advocates say this latest attack fits a broader and deeply worrying pattern of anti-Muslim harassment in the city in recent months. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has urged law enforcement to treat bias-motivated incidents as a top priority, according to a Feb. 5 press release from CAIR-NY. The NYPD's end-of-year report for 2025 stated that hate crimes were down overall but showed uneven patterns from one community to another, a point the department flagged in its annual review of statistics.
Legal angle
Prosecutors can seek tougher penalties if they can prove the attack was motivated in whole or in substantial part by the victim's religion. New York law allows hate-crime enhancements for specific offenses when bias is a significant factor. The statute spells out how a hate crime is defined and lists qualifying offenses. See the New York State Senate for the full legal definition in New York Penal Law Section 485.05.
How to help
Police are urging anyone with photos, video or information about the suspect to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or to submit tips online, as reported by News 12 Brooklyn. Witnesses who recorded the incident are asked to preserve their footage and share it with detectives. The Hate Crime Task Force says it will follow up on all credible leads.
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