Swastikas Drawn In Multiple Locations Across the UES by Hate Crime Suspect

Antisemitism continues to be scourge on the Upper East Side and now the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating a case of aggravated harassment after a three swastikas were found scrawled on UES sidewalk last month. Now, Upper East Site has exclusively learned the same suspect struck twice more in last week.

Investigators say it was just after 10:15 am on the morning of Thursday, June 23rd, when a man wearing a black ‘New York’ baseball cap drew three yellow swastikas on the sidewalk along East 60th Street between First and York Avenues— directly behind 420 East 61st Street.

Yellow swastika scrawled on sidewalk along East 60th Street between First and York Avenues

The neighbor who notified police last month contacted Upper East Site this weekend to share a photo of the symbol of hate drawn on the sidewalk, which also had ‘4×4’ written next to it.

But it seems that’s not all the suspect drew.

Swastikas found drawn on sidewalk along East 60th Street between First and York Avenues | Upper East Site

Upper East Site visited the location Saturday morning and found the rest of what was written on the sidewalk still there— only the swastikas had been removed.

ALSO READ | New Video Shows UES Antisemitic Vandalism Suspect Wanted by NYPD

Still written on the concrete was the time ‘5:27:00 PM’ and the word ‘UNIX.’ It’s not clear what the time or the word means to the suspect, however, Unix is a computer operating system.

The time '5:27:00 PM' and the word 'UNIX' were left behind on the sidewalk | Upper East Site — The time ‘5:27:00 PM’ and the word ‘UNIX’ were left behind on the sidewalk | Upper East Site

This appears to be written by the suspect who police say drew the swastikas, because two and a half weeks later a swastika was found drawn in another location, with the same time written next to it.

Swastika, time and date written on sidewalk near East 72nd and First Avenue

In front of an apartment building near East 72nd Street near First Avenue on July 10th, a doorman reported seeing a Nazi symbol of hate scrawled on the sidewalk along with ‘5:27:00 PM’ and the date ’11-14-02 (YoY).’ He confirmed to Upper East Site the suspect is the man in the surveillance images released by police.

ALSO READ | Hate Crimes Task Force Investigating Swastika-Stamped Cash From UES Chase Bank ATM

Another Upper East Site reader came forward to us as well, revealing they had discovered a swastika last Sunday at the northeast corner of East 64th Street and Madison Avenue. After seeing our report, the reader identified the same handwriting next to a Nazi symbol, reading ‘4×4.’

Swastika and '4x4' drawn on sidewalk near East 64th Street and Madison Avenue — Swastika and ‘4×4’ drawn on sidewalk near East 64th Street and Madison Avenue

Police released surveillance images from the East 60th Street incident and describe the suspect as approximately 50-years-old, 5’9″ tall, weighing 160 pounds with a medium build and salt-and-pepper-beard.