Four teenagers from Airmont, Suffern and Hillburn have been charged with hate crimes in the town of Ramapo, connected to suspicious incidents last month with antisemitic overtones. Ramapo Police say on April 19th, a 17 year-old shot pedestrians walking along Cragmere Road in Airmont with an Orbeez water pellet gun while being driven in a car by another 17 year-old. One victim was struck by the water pellets but wasn’t hurt. Police say the teens yelled antisemitic slurs at them and sped away. Town of Ramapo Chief of Staff Mona Montal says several local incidents, the general tone since the war in the Middle East began, and high-tension rallies across college campuses nationwide, have prompted the Ramapo Police department and a special task force that handles these types of issues, to be on high alert…
In the second incident, a week later, one of the teens was at it again, driving the same car on Oxford Drive in Montebello with two other passengers. One teen threw trash at pedestrians walking in the roadway, striking one on the leg. No injuries were reported. A witness said the occupants of the car shouted antisemitic slurs at them and quickly fled the scene. They were also charged with hate crimes, processed at the Ramapo Police Department and released on a future court date. The charges of Aggravated Harassment for all four and Reckless Endangerment for one of the unidentified teens, did not qualify for bail.