Car crashes into Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in NYC
- - Car crashes into Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in NYC
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY January 29, 2026 at 7:25 AM
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A driver was taken into custody after crashing his vehicle into the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York City as people gathered for prayer on Jan. 28, authorities said.
Officers responded to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood at about 8:46 p.m. local time, New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a brief news conference. Officers had "heard a commotion" at the building's main entrance, she added.
"When they responded, they observed a vehicle strike the rear door, reverse and strike the rear door again," Tisch said. "Officers immediately ordered the driver out of the car, and they placed him under arrest."
The NYPD Bomb Squad conducted a sweep of the vehicle and found no explosive devices, according to the police commissioner. No injuries were reported, and the incident is currently being investigated as a possible hate crime by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.
The driver has not been publicly identified. Tisch noted that information on the incident is preliminary and the investigation remains ongoing.
As a precaution, Tisch said the NYPD has "significantly increased security" around houses of worship across all five boroughs.
"Earlier tonight, a car crashed into a side entrance at Chabad HQ at 770 Eastern Parkway, the building encompasses one of the most important synagogues in the world," Chabad Lubavitch spokesperson Motti Seligson said on social media, adding the driver was arrested "almost immediately."
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During the news conference, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was "relieved no one was injured in this horrifying incident."
"This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world," Mamdani added. "Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable."
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously served on the New York City Council and represented parts of the Crown Heights neighborhood, said the community was "blessed that no one was injured."
"I know this community very closely and deeply. They are part of my family," James said. "This was a holiday — a Chabad holiday — and there were thousands of individuals who came to 770 Eastern Parkway, the headquarters, all over the world."
Hate crimes against Jewish communities have risen in recent years in the United States. Advocates have noted a rise in hate incidents against Jews and Muslims since the start of Israel's war in Gaza after an October 2023 Hamas attack.
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Video showed vehicle moving before crashing into doors
Video of the crash that was posted on social media showed a car with New Jersey license plates driving forward and reversing several times on an icy driveway that leads into a side entrance of the World Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish movement.
The vehicle is seen in the video ramming into a set of wooden doors and damaging them. Bystanders can be heard yelling as the car moves forward and backward.
The driver, who is wearing a zip hoodie and shorts, exited the car and started walking up the driveway, the video shows. He then shouted to bystanders that "it slipped" before two officers approached him and handcuffed him behind his back.
The incident occurred as people gathered in the neighborhood to celebrate Yud Shevat, a Chabad holiday.
The Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters is known for its Gothic revival structure and is commonly referred to as 770, the building's street address. Chabad followers, also known as Lubavitchers, belong to the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic school of Judaism.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Person arrested after car crashes into Chabad headquarters in NYC
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