A man arrested for attempting to kidnap a Jewish child in Crown Heights on Saturday reportedly had previously been arrested for an antisemitic hate crime and was also the family’s neighbor.
Stephen Stowe, 28, was arrested on Saturday on charges of attempted kidnapping in the 2nd degree and endangering the welfare of a child after he attempted to grab the Orthodox Jewish boy from his father.
According to the inmate records of New York City accessed by The Jerusalem Post, Stowe, who has been arrested over 30 times, is being held without bail.
While Stowe’s early arrest records are sealed, in 2013, a Stephen Stowe, aged 17, was arrested for aggravated harassment for a hate crime of a Jewish man wearing a kippah on a subway.
The age, name, visual description, and location match the man involved in Saturday’s incident.
According to the NY Daily News, Stowe and a group of friends approached the visibly Jewish man and said, “As-salamu Alaykum (Arabic for peace be upon you).”
When the Jewish man did not respond, Stowe said, “I am going to kill you right now; they should have killed all of you.”
Criminal history
According to Stowe’s available criminal record accessed by the Post, between 2019 and 2023, Stowe faced multiple charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a loaded firearm, forgery, possession of controlled substance with intent, harassment involving physical contact, and menacing with a weapon.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., this deeply concerning incident took place in the heart of Crown Heights. We are working hand in hand with the @NYPD71pct in identifying the perpetrator. Kudos to the father for his quick action. pic.twitter.com/ozZLKntYvo
— CH Shomrim (@ShomrimCH) November 10, 2024
Menacing involves a person intentionally placing another person in fear of death, imminent serious physical injury, or physical injury.
According to the New York Post, he is a member of the G-Stone Crips gang (GS 9) and was also arrested in August 2023 for strangling his girlfriend.
Stowe was also known to the family, as he lives next door, the boy’s mother told ABC.
“He’d always hold the door; he always was nice,” the mother added.
The mother added that none of the suspect’s behavior had ever seemed suspicious.