Rep. Espaillat's Washington Heights office targeted by pro-Palestinian vandals, police said
Oct. 11, 2024, 1:39 p.m.
Two people used spray paint and a hammer to vandalize the district office.
Police are looking for two people who allegedly spray painted “Free Palestine” on a congressmember's office in Manhattan this week, and also used a hammer to damage the front glass.
NYPD officials said the duo used red and black spray paint to scrawl the message on the front gate of Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s New York district office on West 181st Street and Broadway in Washington Heights.
The incident happened around 3 a.m. Tuesday, police said – just as massive city-wide demonstrations to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 had concluded. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.
The alleged suspects ran from the scene on 181st Street, police said. NYPD officials provided photos showing both suspects in dark jackets and black face masks.
A cohort of Espaillat’s Democratic colleagues released a statement on Tuesday condemning recurring acts of vandalism at the congressmember’s office over the past month.
“This targeted vandalism puts constituents and congressional staffers alike in harm's way, disrupting congressional operations and social services that constituents depend on,” the statement read, which was signed by 15 representatives including Jerrold Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tom Suozzi.
On March 15, Espaillat released a statement in support of President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, calling on Congress to offer its “unwavering support for the release of all hostages, humanitarian aid to Gaza, and for the evacuation of as many civilians as possible to reduce further escalation of violence in the region.”
He also voiced his support for a two-state solution.
A spokesperson for Espaillat’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
NYC demonstrations to mark Oct. 7 were largely peaceful — NYPD says 7 detained