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Coney Island bodega owner assaulted in possible anti-Muslim attack

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Updated  April 20, 2023 10:55am EDT
Coney Island
FOX 5 NY

Possible Brooklyn bodega bias attack under investigation

A possible bias attack against a Muslim man who owns a bodega in Coney Island is under investigation after police say a group of suspect shouted anti-ethnic remarks at the victim before assaulting him.

CONEY ISLAND - The NYPD is investigating after a 58-year-old bodega owner in Brooklyn was savagely beaten in what may have been a bias attack.

Last Saturday, Jamal Sawaid, 58, was working inside his store when four men walked in, yelling racial slurs and then assaulted him. 

At least one of the men had a metal pipe and repeatedly struck Sawaid in the head, causing his eye to swell shut and leaving him with multiple lacerations.

The suspects took off after attack in a white pickup truck and Sawaid was rushed to a nearby hospital. He received eight staples in his head to treat his injuries. 

The NYPD says the incident is being investigated by the Hate Crime Task Force as a possible bias attack.

Sawaid says he's never seen the men before. Originally from Yemen, he's been a business owner in Brooklyn for 23 years and has been recognized by city officials for his work in the community.

Anyone with information about the attack is being asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.