Attack on rabbi is being investigated as hate crime

An attack on a rabbi in Montgomery County on Monday is being investigated as a hate crime, police said.

At about 9:53 a.m., county police officers responded to the 1400 block of Arcola Avenue in Silver Spring for a report of an assault and learned a rabbi had been attacked with a wooden stake as he was walking on a sidewalk, according to charging documents.

The rabbi suffered bone bruises but no broken bones, charging documents say.

Following the attack, a 47-year-old suspect left the area, police said. He was arrested a short distance from the scene after being identified through video footage. He was taken to a hospital for an evaluation, according to the charging documents. Once cleared, he was brought to Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where has been charged with an assault felony and related crimes.

Police did not initially find a reason for the attack and are now investigating it as a hate crime, according to a news release from the Montgomery County Police Department. The rabbi did not know the suspect before the attack, according to charging documents.

The suspect does not have an attorney listed on online court records. He was ordered held without bond Tuesday.

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