Jewish Family Mistaken For Muslims And Attacked In Queens Subway

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By Sam Kestenbaum September 15, 2017

A 57-year-old Jewish woman and her adult daughter were beaten at a Rego Park, Queens subway station on Wednesday — after they were mistaken for Muslims.

“Get out of my country, you dirty Muslim!” the 40-year-old suspect, Dimitrious Zias, allegedly said, according to the Daily News.

Zias punched both the mother and her daughter in the face, the Daily News reported. The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with assault as a hate crime.

According to the Daily News, the suspect had been drinking and got into an argument with the mother and daughter after passing them on a subway staircase.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor and former staff writer for the Forward. Before this, he worked for The New York Times and newsrooms in Sana, Ramallah and Beijing. Contact him at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum and on Instagram at @skestenbaum.

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