“Although there are those who believe that this was a hate crime, the official position of the Town of Ramapo Police Department is, that at this time, there is no evidence to support that contention,” Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Weidel said in the statement if anyone has facts that the attack on Wednesday morning was a hate crime, “we strongly encourage them to come forward and report this information to our agency.”
Weidel said the police department’s Patrol Division has increased patrols in the community, using both marked and unmarked cars as well as police bikes for patrol purposes.
The victim, a teacher and father of four young children, was approaching the synagogue, Toshnad Heichel Torah Utfila in Spring Valley, New York, when at least one man got out of a car, began beating him and stabbed him multiple times.
The victim on Thursday underwent a second surgery on his fractured skull. He is scheduled to have a third surgery on to try to save his eye that was seriously injured in the attack, the Vos Iz Neias news website reported.