Surveillance video captured a Jewish man being assaulted outside a Los Angeles synagogue in an incident that police are now investigating as a hate crime.
On April 27, the 32-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified out of safety concerns, said he was walking home and wearing traditional Jewish clothing when he was attacked.
The victim was in an alleyway behind the Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. when he noticed a car slowly coming up behind him.
“I just didn’t have a good feeling,” he recalled. “I make eye contact with [the male driver], try to make a face [that says], ‘Is everything cool?’ And then he just jumped out of his car like a lion.”
The suspect pinned the victim against a wall outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles as he assaulted and choked him on April 27, 2026. (The LA Scoop)
The suspect’s vehicle is a gray Honda minivan with California license plate 9LFP397. (THe LA Scoop)
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the alleyway to investigate the hate crime incident. (The LA Scoop)
The suspect pinned the victim against a wall outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles as he assaulted and choked him on April 27, 2026. (The LA Scoop)
The victim was attacked in an alleyway behind the Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of L.A. on April 27, 2026. (KTLA)
Video given to KTLA from the LA Scoop showed the suspect pinning the victim against a wall and assaulting him.
“He had me in a chokehold and whacked my head against the wall,” he told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo.
The attacker eventually shoved the victim onto the ground. As he walked to his car, he allegedly yelled “Free Palestine!” the victim said.
The victim, who was left bruised and bewildered, said he believed the attack was a hate crime and that the suspect may have followed him for some time before ambushing him.
“The way I dress is pretty distinctively Jewish with my kippah, my hat,” he said. “If the man is saying ‘Free Palestine,’ I think we can assume he’s antisemitic.”
The incident occurred in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, which has left many in the area feeling concerned for their safety.
“It was quite horrifying,” he said. “No one should ever have to think, when you’re just walking home, that someone [might] pounce on you like that.”
Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
Surveillance images of the suspect were released as authorities continue investigating the case. Detectives described his vehicle as a gray Honda minivan with license plate 9LFP397.
The victim said he hopes the man is caught soon before someone else is targeted.
“Any religion, any race, no one should be afraid, worried or intimidated to walk outside with pride for what values they hold or what religion they practice,” he said.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect or has information on the case can call the LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.
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