Hate Crimes Task Force investigating anti-gay attack inside Glendale deli: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an anti-gay assault that took place in a corner deli in Glendale on the morning of Monday, Sept. 8.

Police from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress in the New York Deli Grocery at 73-01 88th St., where a 47-year-old woman was waiting in line at around 6:35 a.m.

She got into a verbal altercation with a stranger that escalated into violence when the man shouted an anti-LBGTQIA+ statement and punched her in the face. He stormed out of the deli and was last seen running off northbound on 88th Street toward Cooper Avenue. He remains at large. The victim sustained minor injuries as a result of the attack, including pain and swelling to her face. Council Member Joann Ariola, who represents the neighborhood, was appalled by the attack.

The woman was standing on line inside this Glendale deli when the suspect engaged her in a verbal dispute, shouted anti-gay rhetoric and allegedly punched her in the face, police said. Photo via Google Maps

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and this kind of hateful violence has no place in our city,” Ariola told QNS. “My thoughts are with the victim as she recovers, and I am confident the NYPD will work quickly to bring the person responsible to justice.”

The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect on Wednesday and described him as having a light complexion. He wore a gray polo shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers and eyeglasses.

The suspect stormed out of the deli and was last seen running on 88th Street toward St. John Cemetery. Photo courtesy of the NYPD

A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to his arrest and indictment.

Anyone with information regarding this hate crime investigation 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 confidential.

Through Sept. 14, the 104th Precinct has reported eight hate crimes so far in 2025, the same number reported at the same point last year. Felony assaults are up slightly in the precinct with 214 so far this year, two more than the 212 reported at the same point in 2024, an increase of 0.9%, according to the most recent CompStat report.