Police Hunt For Culprit After Israeli Flag Burned On UWS Street: NYPD

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Police are still searching for a member of a hateful crowd outside Columbia University who stole a man's Israel flag, burned it and threw a rock at his face as he tried to reclaim it, officials said.

The incident, which occurred in late April, has been classified as a hate crime, NYPD officials said.

One man believed to be involved in the attack was identified as Park Slope resident James Carlson, 40, and arrested on May 1. Carlson was charged with arson, criminal mischief and criminal possession of stolen property.

Police are now asking for help identifying a second member of the group, who is described as a man with a light complexion and last seen wearing a black and white scarf, a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and black and white sneakers with a green back pack.

Authorities said the assault unfolded about 9:55 p.m. when a 22-year-old man was walking near Amsterdam Avenue and West 116th Street in Morningside Heights, displaying an Israeli flag.

An as-yet-unidentified man then walked up and stole the flag, fleeing into a nearby crowd, police said.

Authorities reported that the owner of the flag attempted to reclaim it by rushing into the crowd of people, only to be met with a thrown rock to his face by a separate, as-yet-unidentified individual.

A third person, identified as Carlson, then grabbed the flag and set it on fire, officials said.

The man who originally had the flag suffered minor injuries in the scuffle but refused medical attention, police said.

No further arrests have been made, and two suspects involved in the crime are still on the loose, an NYPD spokesperson said.

People with information are asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also submittips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.