Los Angeles, November 27, 2018 …. ADL welcomes law enforcement’s immediate attention and arrest of a suspect for attempted vehicular assault on Jewish congregants outside an orthodox synagogue, Bais Yehuda on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.
ADL received reports that, at approximately 9:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2018, a suspect yelled anti-Semitic epithets from his car and attempted to run over Jewish congregants outside the synagogue. The congregants were able to jump out of the way before the suspect crashed into parked cars. Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested Mohamed Abdi Mohamed, 32, and the department is working with the office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney to bring multiple counts of attempted assault with a deadly weapon, along with hate crime penalty enhancements.
ADL Los Angeles Regional Director Amanda Susskind issued the following statement:
“We are appalled by the allegations of this potentially-deadly assault targeting Jews, particularly in the aftermath of the shooting at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. According to the FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics Act report, there was a 17 percent rise in hate crimes in 2017, including a 37 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes against Jews. ADL’s internal audit, which includes anti-Semitic hate crimes and incidents, paints an even starker image with a 57 percent increase in the same period. We applaud LAPD Chief Michel Moore and LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey for their prompt investigation and hate crime charges.”