Bronx Man Faces Federal Charges in Manhattan Synagogue Attack

A Bronx man faces federal hate crime and religious property charges following an alleged attack during a Shabbat service at Central Synagogue in Manhattan, the Department of Justice announced.

Larry Montes, 46, was charged with two counts of committing hate crimes and one count of damaging religious property resulting in bodily injury. He remains in state custody and will appear in Manhattan federal court at a later date, according to the Justice Department.

Federal prosecutors allege Montes disrupted a Friday evening service attended by approximately 375 people on Aug. 14. According to the criminal complaint, Montes stood and began shouting before striking and damaging two ceremonial silver candlesticks with gold accents.

When the synagogue’s head of security attempted to remove him from the service area, Montes allegedly made hostile statements directed at those present.

Montes is also accused of punching a female congregant with a closed fist. As security guards and law enforcement officers placed him in handcuffs, prosecutors allege he directed a racial slur at a Black security guard, spat in the guard’s face and headbutted him near his left eye socket.

The complaint further alleges that Montes threatened to return to the synagogue at a later date.

During a recorded interview conducted after he was advised of his rights, Montes allegedly made antisemitic statements and characterized his conduct as racially and religiously motivated, according to prosecutors.

“An attack on a house of worship is an attack on the fundamental right to practice one’s faith safely,” U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York said. McDonald said the office would work to hold Montes accountable and protect communities from hate-motivated violence.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the charges demonstrate the department’s commitment to protecting worshippers and religious institutions from bias-driven attacks.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch credited an NYPD sergeant with taking Montes into custody and said the department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is continuing to work with federal authorities on the case.

Each federal hate crime count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The charge of damaging religious property resulting in bodily injury carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The case is being prosecuted by the Southern District of New York’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit, in consultation with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The charges are allegations. Montes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.