NYPD investigating hate crime attack on Jewish man on Upper East Side
NEW YORK — A Jewish man says he was harassed and randomly sucker-punched on the Upper East Side. Police are investigating the attack as a hate crime.
Jewish man spat on, harassed outside Manhattan market
Stephen Zeffren had just left Ouri's Market on Third Avenue near 67th Street on Wednesday afternoon when he says a strange man started harassing him.
"Someone just comes over to me and spits in my face and says, 'You dirty Jew,'" Zeffren told CBS News New York's Lori Bordonaro in an exclusive interview.
Zeffren was wearing his yarmulke at the time.
"He said, 'Oh, you want to come chase after me?' And I just continued looking down, just trying to mind my own business," he said.
The father of three from Teaneck, New Jersey didn't expect what happened next.
"Before I know it he sucker punches me in the face," Zeffren said.
"I'm proud of who I am"
Zeffren says his ear was bleeding, but he feels lucky his injuries weren't worse.
The man who punched him took off northbound on Third Avenue. Police are investigating his attack as a hate crime.
"It's very sad that the rise of antisemitism has just been so rampant now," Zeffren said.
"It just makes me so sad because it's not, it's not supposed to be happening," said Tata Maglakeledza, manager of Ouri's Market.
From now on Zeffren says he will be more vigilant, but he won't live in fear.
"I won't be scared to come into the city. I'll never be scared. I'm proud of who I am," he said.
