The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying four teenage boys who allegedly assaulted two men walking on Broadway near 33rd Street in Astoria last Wednesday night.
The 114th Precinct in Astoria reported that the incident occurred at around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 as the four teens approached the two victims and began throwing hard objects at them while shouting anti-LGBTQIA+ statements before they began punching one of the 36-year-old men repeatedly in his face, causing swelling and bruising. The assailants the ran off in an unknown direction, police said.
An NYPD spokesman was unable to provide further information on what the hard objects were that were used in the hate crime assault and whether the victims or not they were transported to an area hospital.
The NYPD released surveillance video of the three suspects loitering in front of a smoke shop and described them as having light complexions and are believed to be in their mid-teens. One wore a gray hooded sweatshirt with GAP across the chest in black letters, a black bandana, blue jeans and white flip-flops.
The second assailant wore a gray hoodie, blue jeans and a white backpack with black trim and the third teen wore a black hooded sweatshirt over a white t-shirt, black pants and white sneakers.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Assaults are way up in the 114th Precinct with 93 reported so far in 2024, 35 more than the 58 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 60.3%, according to the most recent CompStat report. The 114th Precinct also reported 2 hate crimes at the same point last year, the current investigation is the first hate crime reported in the confines of the 114th Precinct so far in 2024.
