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Edited by: Fern Sidman
A man accused of committing two anti-Semitic attacks on the Upper West Side of Manhattan over the summer was indicted for his actions and then swiftly released following his court appearance, according to a report on Tuesday in The New York Post. Myles Utz, 31, was charged with targeting two Jewish men in a back-to-back assault at the intersection of West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue on June 16, all while shouting, “Free Palestine!” as reported by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
🚨 BREAKING: Trans FedEx Driver Spits on Elderly Jewish Man—REVEALED as Myles Utz
⚠️ WATCH: Shocking Anti-Semitic Attack Caught on Video
📰 Myles Utz, a current resident of Queens, NY, is seen assaulting an elderly Jewish man at W 86th Street & Amsterdam Avenue.
Utz is seen in… pic.twitter.com/RgsLRU9QJR
— Shirion Collective (@ShirionOrg) June 19, 2024
The New York Post detailed how Utz’s first victim, a 25-year-old man wearing a yarmulke, was subjected to a barrage of anti-Semitic slurs before Utz threw two glass bottles at him. Fortunately, the bottles missed, shattering on the ground as the young man managed to back away unharmed. This disturbing incident, which unfolded in broad daylight, drew the attention of nearby passersby, including a 74-year-old Jewish man who was also wearing a yarmulke.
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As the situation escalated, Utz turned his aggression toward the elderly man, spitting on him in a confrontation that was captured on video. According to The New York Post, the footage, posted on the StopAntisemitism page on X (formerly Twitter), shows the senior citizen bravely telling Utz to “get the hell away from me” as a concerned bystander tries to intervene. Despite efforts to deescalate the situation, Utz, with a bandage on his right hand, aggressively approached the older man and spat at him, all while surrounded by a group of shocked onlookers.
The New York Post report described how New Yorkers in the area quickly surrounded Utz and urged him to leave, some shouting at the alleged attacker to walk away. One bystander even placed a supportive hand on the elderly victim’s shoulder, while another challenged Utz’s behavior directly, asking, “How [are] you free[ing] Palestine right now? All you’re doing is harassing people.” This powerful moment of community intervention highlighted the unity of New Yorkers in standing against such blatant displays of hate.
Utz, whose last known address is in Mentor, Ohio, was arrested over a month later on July 25, according to law enforcement officials. However, despite the indictment for the attacks, Utz was promptly released after his court appearance, a decision that has drawn considerable attention given the violent nature of the incidents.
These assaults occurred amid growing concerns about rising anti-Semitic violence in the United States, particularly in urban centers like New York City. The attacks were not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of harassment and violence directed at Jewish individuals, often linked to political tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to The New York Post, anti-Semitic incidents in New York have spiked in recent years, prompting renewed calls for stronger protections for Jewish communities and more robust responses from law enforcement and judicial systems.
The release of Utz after his indictment raises questions about the effectiveness of the legal system in dealing with hate crimes. Many critics argue that individuals charged with such serious offenses should not be allowed to walk free so soon after being apprehended, particularly when there is video evidence of the crime.
According to the information provided by The New York Post, the primary charge leveled against Utz is attempted assault in the second degree, which has been classified as a hate crime. This charge suggests that the alleged assault was motivated by bias or prejudice against the victim.
