A Connecticut man has been arrested after allegedly targeting visibly Jewish individuals with antisemitic remarks, knocking a yarmulke off one victim’s head and confronting others on a New Haven street.

The New Haven Police Department said Paul Smith, 36, of East Haven, was accused of approaching three Jewish people on Crown Street on June 2, shouting slurs and making hostile remarks. Witnesses said he allegedly yelled, “get out of my city,” “baby killers” and “go back where you belong,” and asked whether they supported “genocide.”

According to police, the suspect also allegedly confronted another person who attempted to intervene, shoving them and throwing a rolled-up newspaper. Officers said Smith then pointed at a victim’s yarmulke and slapped it off his head, causing it to fall to the ground.

Police reviewed video footage and said it supported the victims’ accounts. Smith was arrested Monday and charged with intimidation due to bias in the second degree and disorderly conduct.

“This behavior will never be tolerated in New Haven,” stated David Zannelli, chief of the New Haven Police Department.