A Brooklyn man has been found guilty of hate crimes in connection with a string of assaults and harassment incidents, including an attack on a Jewish couple who photographed him tearing down posters of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

Skiboky Stora was convicted in New York state court of assault, stalking and harassment tied to what prosecutors described as multiple anti-female, anti-white and antisemitic episodes that took place between 2023 and 2024.

According to prosecutors, one of the incidents occurred when Stora was seen removing posters of Israeli hostages. After a husband and wife photographed him, he allegedly followed them while shouting threats and slurs, including “Die, Jews, die!”

The 42-year-old defendant, who lives in Brooklyn, also admitted during the trial that he punched a woman at random as she walked along a Manhattan street nearly two years ago. He chose to represent himself during the weeks-long proceedings in Manhattan.

In his closing statement, Stora denied harboring racist motives or intending to harm anyone. “I never did anything racist to anybody, and I never did anything discriminating against anybody, and I never tried to injure anybody,” he said, according to the New York Post.

Prosecutors countered that claim by presenting video evidence. Footage introduced at trial showed Stora confronting the Jewish couple, as well as additional videos he recorded of himself yelling at and harassing white individuals, the Post reported.

Following the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the conduct. “The victims were met with both violence and harassment simply because of who they are,” he said in a statement. “Hate crimes strike at the core of our city’s values and sense of safety.”

Stora was taken into custody after the conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14.

Attempts to reach him through his Instagram account, where he describes himself as the “great great grandson” of the Black nationalist Marcus Garvey and claims to be running for governor as a Republican, were not immediately successful.

One of the assaults, which occurred on March 25, 2024, drew significant public attention after the 23-year-old victim shared her experience on TikTok and others came forward reporting similar encounters.

Prosecutors said Stora’s punch knocked the woman to the ground, leaving her with pain and swelling on the left side of her head.

In a separate incident months earlier, authorities said Stora struck a 17-year-old student in the neck with his elbow and told the teen, “You people think you can do whatever you want,” adding a profanity.

He was also accused of elbowing a 37-year-old woman in the shoulder in another encounter, causing visible bruising.

{Matzav.com}