What to Know
- Police arrested four suspects that were wanted in connection with six violent, possibly bias, attacks and attempted robberies in Brooklyn
- Police say the group approached the Hasidic victims from behind and punched them in the face and then go through the victims' pockets
- According to police, the suspects are all from different locations in Brooklyn and each faces four counts of robbery and three counts of ass
Police have arrested all four suspects that were wanted in connection with six violent, possibly bias, attacks and attempted robberies that occurred in the span of mere minutes in Brooklyn.
According to police, the suspects are all from different locations in Brooklyn and each faces four counts of robbery and three counts of assault. Devante McDougell, 17, Elijah Hodge, 18, Deandre Diagle, 19, and Michael Bellevue, 20, were all charged Thursday.
No hate crime charges were filed in the attacks on at least four Hasidic men early Monday in different locations, all near each other in the Williamsburg neighborhood.
Police say each victim was approached by several teens who punched him in the face, searched his pockets and fled. Nothing was taken.
The first attack happened around 5 a.m. on Ross Street, when a 71-year-old man was blindsided. Half an hour later, the group attacked a 67-year-old man on Clymer Street and supposedly told him "give me your money," police say, adding the victim refused medical treatment.
A 56-year-old man was also attacked at 5:40 a.m. on Wythe Place, authorities say. Two of the victims were taken to hospitals.
Police said they were investigating the string of violent attacks as possible hate crimes. Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said on Thursday that there were at least six attacks the suspects are believed to have taken part in.
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In a tweet, Shea urged other victims and those who may have information on any of the incidents to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
