By 5 Towns Central Staff

FRESH MEADOWS, N.Y. (August 2, 2026) — A Queens man already awaiting trial on severe vehicular charges has been formally arraigned on hate crime counts following a series of targeted vandalism incidents outside a kosher bagel establishment in Fresh Meadows, according to prosecutor disclosures.

The defendant, identified as twenty-two-year-old Dawood Faisal of Fresh Meadows, appeared in court facing multiple charges of criminal mischief as hate crimes. Law enforcement officials indicate that the incidents specifically targeted Bagels & Co., a Jewish-owned commercial establishment located on Union Turnpike that prominently features Israeli flags and banners.

According to official court filings, the suspect targeted the storefront on two separate occasions in mid-May. During the initial evening incident, the perpetrator allegedly overturned nine metal planter stands outside the property, scattering dirt and foliage across the sidewalk before throwing handfuls of soil directly against the building’s exterior. Eight days later, the individual returned during the early morning hours, kicking over eleven additional plant stands, emptying their contents, and stripping vegetation from larger clay pots.

A joint investigation conducted by local specialized hate crime detectives and district prosecutors led to the identification of the suspect. Legal authorities emphasized that bias-motivated property damage inflicts deep anxiety across entire communities, underscoring their commitment to prosecuting bias crimes.

The defendant remains subject to a separate judicial process involving a fatal multi-vehicle collision that occurred shortly after the vandalism incidents. In that case, prosecutors allege the driver ran multiple red lights at high speeds, triggering a chain-reaction crash that resulted in the death of a seventy-one-year-old pedestrian. If convicted on the top hate crime charge, the suspect faces up to seven years in state prison. He is scheduled to reappear before a criminal court judge next week as proceedings continue.

Sorry to say, but seven years is not enough if we want this vandalism of Jewish establishments to stop, cold turkey.