According to the police, two women attacked a Jewish victim who confronted them while they were tearing down posters in New York City that showed Israelis being abducted by Hamas. They have been charged with hate crimes for this incident.
The women have been identified as Mehwish Omer and Stephanie Gonzalez.
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Who are Mehwish Omer and Stephanie Gonzalez?
Mehwish Omer, 26, and Stephanie Gonzalez, 25 are both arrested for assaulting a 41-year-old Jewish woman in New York City.
On November 9, Omer and Gonzalez allegedly attacked a woman in the Upper West Side after she approached them about tearing down posters showing Israeli hostages.
The Jewish woman told the police that she had been recording Stephanie Gonzalez and Mehwish Omer when she got into a fight with them prior to the attack. The victim claimed that the two young women assaulted her, snatching her Star of David necklace, breaking her cell phone out of her hand, and then running away.
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The victim’s phone was damaged, and she reportedly had minor injuries to her face and neck. Stephanie Gonzalez was arraigned the week before, and Mehwish Omer turned herself in on Monday. Both are being detained at the 7th Precinct in Lower Manhattan.
A number of people were taken into custody by the New York City police for taking down posters featuring Israeli hostages. For information on the two unidentified attackers involved in the alleged assault, the NYPD had offered a $3,500 cash reward.
Mehwish Omer and Stephanie Gonzalez are both being held on hate crime charges of assault and criminal mischief. Gonzalez is also accused of attempting to rob someone. Notably, there is no criminal record for either suspect.
This comes after two other eighteen-year-olds, Charlotte Wimer and Gray Segal, were also taken into custody for demolishing posters that showed hostages from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
