Man who rammed car into Chabad headquarters in NYC charged with damaging religious property

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who drove his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City has been charged by federal prosecutors with intentionally damaging religious property.

Dan Sohail, 36, was set to be arraigned Monday afternoon in Brooklyn federal court for the Jan. 28 incident, which damaged the entrance of the revered Jewish site, but did not cause any injuries.

An attorney for Sohail did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.

He was previously arrested by New York City police at the scene and charged with multiple hate crimes by state prosecutors.

He later told officials that he had recently learned he had Jewish heritage and had been invited to the headquarters that night to learn more about the religion’s traditions, according to the federal complaint unsealed Monday.

Several people close to him — including family members and Chabad rabbis — have said Sohail did not seem to harbor any hatred toward Jews, and confirmed that he had expressed interest in converting to the religion.

Weeks before the incident, he had attended a social gathering at the Chabad headquarters, where he was seen on video dancing with Orthodox men, according to police.

Sohail’s father told The Daily News that his son suffered from “mental problems,” but had “a very good friendship, relationship with the Jews.”

Sohail initially claimed that his “clunky boots” had slipped, causing him to lose control of the vehicle, according to police.

Federal prosecutors said he was seen removing several blockades and cleared snow away from a sidewalk before driving into the building at least five times.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison if the damage is found to have exceeded $5,000.

Jailed since his arrest, Sohail was temporary released Monday to the custody of the U.S. Marshals for his federal court appearance, online records show. His next hearing in the state case is March 31.

A spokesperson for Chabad did not respond to inquiries about the federal charges.

The crash occurred on the 75th anniversary of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson becoming the leader of the Lubavitch movement and prompted immediate concern in the city. Schneerson died in 1994 but remains a revered figure globally.

There has been a near constant police presence around the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters for years.

The site was at the epicenter of the Crown Heights riots in 1991, when Black residents of the neighborhood attacked Jews after a child was killed by a car traveling in Schneerson’s motorcade. In 2014, a disturbed man entered the synagogue and stabbed a rabbinical student, wounding him, before being shot dead by police.