Teens From Airmont, Suffern, Hillburn Charged With Hate Crimes

RAMAPO, NY — Three Rockland County teenagers face hate crime charges after two incidents over two consecutive Fridays.

At 9 p.m. April 19, a passenger in a car on Cragmere Road shot a water pellet gun at pedestrians, hitting one. The car's occupants yelled antisemitic slurs and sped away, police said.

Both the driver and passenger, 17-year-old boys, were arrested and charged with second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime, misdemeanors.

The following Friday, the same teen drove the same car on Oxford Drive in Montebello at 9:20 p.m., police said, with the same friend and two other passengers.

An 18-year-old passenger threw trash from the car at pedestrians, hitting one. The four occupants of the car yelled antisemitic slurs and sped away, police said.

The driver, an Aimont resident, now faces a felony charge of reckless endangerment 2nd as a hate crime, and another charge of second-degree aggravated harassment.

The other 17-year-old from Suffern faces another charge of second-degree harassment as a hate crime.

The other two passengers, 18-year-old men from Airmont and Hillburn, face second-degree harassment as a hate crime charges.

Police said because the 17-year-olds are juveniles and the 18-year-olds are eligible for juvenile offender status, which can only be granted by a judge, their names would not be released.

They were processed at Ramapo Police Department. All were released with appearance tickets for a future court date.