Suspect in Chabad HQ ramming charged with hate crimes; had previously attended event there

Driver named as Dan Sohail, from New Jersey; NYPD says he went to social gathering at site 10 days ago; Chabad spokesman: He was likely ‘attempting to connect’ with Jewish community

NEW YORK — The suspect who allegedly rammed a vehicle into Chabad’s world headquarters in New York City was charged with hate crimes on Thursday, a day after the incident.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, at a briefing in Manhattan, named the suspect as Dan Sohail, 36, from Carteret, New Jersey.

Sohail allegedly smashed his Honda Accord into an entrance of the synagogue five times at around 8:45 p.m. There were no injuries and the suspect was arrested at the scene.

Sohail was charged with attempted assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and aggravated harassment. All the charges were filed as hate crimes, a stipulation that increases the potential penalty in the case of a conviction.

Sohail had previous contacts with Chabad, attending a “social gathering” at the same location around 10 days ago, Kenny said.

Video circulating on social media showed a man resembling the suspect dancing in a circle inside the synagogue.

A Chabad spokesperson, Motti Seligson, said in a statement the suspect had attempted to enter Chabad sites in New Jersey but was rebuffed and in at least one incident, had the police called on him.

“We believe that he was in Brooklyn last night to continue his attempt to connect with the Lubavitch Jewish community,” Kenny said.

Security camera footage showed the suspect parking a few blocks away from the scene of the incident, walking to the synagogue entrance, removing bollards from the sidewalk, and returning to his car.

He drove to the synagogue, exited his car again, removed snow from the driveway, then smashed into the entrance, Kenny said.

Sohail said at the scene that “his foot slipped” and, in an interrogation, said he lost control of his vehicle because he was “wearing clunky boots,” Kenny said.

The incidents are being treated as hate crimes because “he attacked a Jewish institution,” Kenny said.

“This is a synagogue. It’s clearly marked as a synagogue, he knew it was a synagogue because he attended there previously,” he said.

There are no known threats to houses of worship, but police have increased protection of religious sites around the city out of caution.

The building at 770 Eastern Parkway, known as “770” is likely the most famous and recognizable Jewish site in New York City. The structure is iconic for the Chabad movement and there are replicas of the building in other countries, including in Kfar Chabad in Israel.

The ramming took place during an annual celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the late Chabad rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, taking on the leadership of the movement.

The incident provoked widespread shock and alarm in the Jewish community and from elected leaders.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes more than all other groups combined in the city, and there have been several high-profile recent incidents of antisemitism.

The mass killing at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia last month targeted an event led by Chabad.