NYPD search for Williamsburg cyclist accused of hate crime against 14-year-old Orthodox Jew

NEW YORK, June 20 (UPI) -- Police in Brooklyn are investigating a potential hate crime, after a man riding a bike in South Williamsburg allegedly spouted anti-Semitic rhetoric as he attacked an Orthodox Jewish boy last night.

According to witnesses, the 14-year-old boy was on his way to synagogue when a male on a bicycle punched the boy in the face and yelled "[expletive] Jews." The boy tried in vain to apprehend his attacker, and when he asked a near by cop for help, the officer told the victim to "go home and tell your parents to file a police report."

At roughly 8:00 p.m., police responded to a call from the Williamsburg Shomrim about the incident, as Hatzolah volunteers tended to the boy's injuries.

After speaking with the boy and witnesses, police turned the case over to NYPD's hate crime unit to continue the investigation.

According to Jewish watchdog site JPUpdates.com, at least 12 Jewish children have been assaulted or robbed in Williamsburg in the last two months. No arrests have been made in those cases.