A Brooklyn woman busted for allegedly assaulting three Orthodox Jewish women — even though she was released twice under New York City’s recently implemented bail reform laws — has been charged with committing a federal hate crime.
The attorney general announced Monday that an arrest warrant against Tiffany Harris would be unsealed, charging her with a federal hate crime for slapping three Orthodox Jews within ten minutes on December 27 in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.
“Two of the victims were wearing clothing that made them identifiable as Jewish,” an FBI agent wrote in the warrant, filed in Brooklyn federal court. “All of the victims were simply walking down the street when the defendant approached and assaulted them.”
Harris reportedly said, “F–k you, Jews,” as she allegedly smacked one of her victims in the back of the head using the back of her hand.
The warrant stated that Harris allegedly knew the victims were Jewish because she recognized that the neighborhood she was in was Jewish, and she recognized how they were dressed.
The January 5 arrest warrant was unsealed the same day U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with Jewish community leaders in Brooklyn to discuss the recent uptick in antisemitic hate crimes.
“It strikes at the very core of what this country is about,” Barr said during a Monday meeting at the Boro Park Jewish Community Council. “I’ve always felt it is particularly pernicious because it does target people based not only their ethnicity but also on their religious practice.”