Mehwish Omer, 26, and Stephanie Gonzalez, 25, are residents of New York City, New York, United States. They were recently arrested by the New York Police Department.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas led a series of coordinated attack from the Gaza Strip into bordering areas in Israel. Numerous Israelis were taken hostage.
Posters of those missing Israelis were put up at the corner of Riverside Drive and West 82nd Street on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. At around 9:55 p.m. on November 9, 2023, Omer and Gonzalez were allegedly taking down those posters from a light pole when they were confronted by a Jewish woman, 41, wearing a Star of David necklace and they got into an argument.
Omer and Gonzalez allegedly ripped the necklace off the neck of the Jewish woman, who recorded the attack with her cellphone. The two attackers allegedly knocked the victim’s cellphone out of her hand and onto the ground.
Although the Jewish woman suffered minor injuries to the face and neck, she refused medical attention at the scene. Omer and Gonzalez allegedly fled the scene.
On November 20, 2023, Gonzalez was arrested. She was charged with assault as a hate crime and attempted robbery.
On November 27, 2023, Omer surrendered the NYPD. She was arrested and charged with assault and criminal mischief, both as hate crimes.
CONAN Daily 