A Queens man is locked up on Long Island on hate crime charges.
Nassau County Police arrested Bechir Lehbeib, 26, after a call came in about an incident outside a house on Steven Drive in Hewlett this past weekend at 1:08 p.m.
According to police, the man was identified with video surveillance -- later confirmed as a Ring doorbell -- after "two pro-Israel flags" vanished off the front lawn of his house on Sunday afternoon.
Police say in a sworn statement that Steven Drive resident Aleksandr Binyaminov told them he saw Lehbeibe "steal two pro-Israel flags" and rushed out the door to stop him.
When he caught up to the thief, he grabbed his flags back -- and Lehbeib, say police, punched him in the face.
Then, say, Lehbeib head-butted him.
As this episode unfolded, say police, the victim heard the man say: "I'm Palestinian and you Jews are killing Palestinians" -- thereby elevating any allegations of unlawful activities to Felony crimes.
Then, say police, Lehbeib grabbed the flags back and punched the man again -- "several more times", according to statements in court filings -- and threw the flags on the ground, "stomping on both of the flags".
Said flags are valued at a total $40, the victim told police according to sworn court filings. That was enough to get Lehbeib charged with Felony Mischief -- not for damage to flags, but for his remark that "Jews are killing Palestinians", which converted his plain Misdemeanor charge into a Felony under New York law.
Police caught up with the accused thief and arrested him at 1:14 p.m. -- six minutes after the flags disappeared. They say surveillance videos and other evidence backed up the victim's version of the incident.
Nassau County's DA has announced a press conference to promote coverage of this incident later today.
Lehbeib was arraigned yesterday on Felony charges of Robbery, Assault and Criminal Mischief. Judge Madeleine Petrara-Perrin set his bail at $100,000 bond. He remains locked up in Nassau Correctional Center in East Meadow. Next court date: Wednesday February 7.
