Federal prosecutors on Monday announced charges in January’s car-ramming of the global headquarters of the Chabad-Ludavitch movement in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a 36-year-old New Jersey man over allegations of repeatedly ramming his vehicle into a Brooklyn synagogue in late January.
Dan Sohail of Carteret, N.J., was taken into federal custody Monday and was scheduled to be arraigned that afternoon in an Eastern District of New York courtroom.
The incident occurred the night of Jan. 28 at the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, located at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Dozens of people were in the building for an event marking the death anniversary of the movement’s leader when a vehicle rammed the headquarters’ side entrance several times, causing damage to the doors.
Sohail was taken into police custody at the scene.
According to the complaint dated Feb. 24 but unsealed Monday, Sohail drove to the side entrance at about 8:40 p.m. EST, exited the vehicle and moved stanchions placed to protect the building. He allegedly gestured for bystanders to move away from the entrance, returned to his vehicle and drove his car into the building.
He allegedly then reversed his vehicle before accelerating and ramming the building again. Prosecutors accused Sohail of ramming the building four times, breaking the entrance door off its hinges while destroying the bumper of his vehicle.
No one was reported injured.
After being taken into police custody, Sohail allegedly told investigators that icy conditions and the heavy boots he was wearing caused him to lose control of the vehicle and press the gas pedal, according to the complaint.
He also allegedly said he had visited the building before and had recently learned of his Jewish heritage. He was allegedly in the process of learning more about the Jewish tradition and was invited to the event at the headquarters that night.
Sohail has been charged with intentionally damaging religious property. He faces up to three years’ imprisonment if convicted.
“The Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn is a sacred place for many Jews in New York City and around the world, and the purposeful destruction of this property is unacceptable,” New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.
