Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Dawood Faisal was indicted for a hate crime for destroying property in May outside a kosher bagel store on Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows that displayed Israeli flags. Faisal allegedly knocked over multiple plant stands outside the shop on two separate occasions and, in one instance, hurled dirt at Israeli flags and the front of the store.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, Dawood Faisal, repeatedly targeted a Fresh Meadows business specifically because it is Jewish-owned and featured Israeli flags, and destroyed property as an expression of antisemitism. Bias crimes are an affront to our entire community and will not be tolerated.”

Faisal, 22, of Fresh Meadows, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree as a hate crime. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered him to return to court November 12.

If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.

DA Katz said that, according to the indictment and investigation, on May 15, at approximately 6:18 p.m., Faisal knocked over nine metal plant stands outside Bagels & Co., a kosher shop on Union Turnpike where numerous Israeli flags and banners were on display. Dirt and plants spilled from the toppled containers onto the sidewalk. Faisal then picked up the debris and twice threw it at the shop.

On May 23, at approximately 1 a.m., Faisal returned to the Fresh Meadows shop. He pushed and kicked 11 metal plant stands causing plants and dirt to spill onto the sidewalk. After emptying each of the metal planters’ contents onto the sidewalk, Faisal attempted to kick over a large clay pot nearby without success then he manually uprooted the plants inside that vessel.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Patrick Lynaugh of the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force in partnership with the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau.

Separately, Faisal was also arraigned on indictment charges in June of manslaughter, assault and other crimes for the death of 71-year-old Cara Trager in May. Faisal allegedly sped through two red lights on Francis Lewis Boulevard then collided with two cars, propelling one into a crosswalk where Trager and her husband were walking.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Brovner, Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Chief Assistant District Attorney Shawn Clark.