Suspect who yelled for 'Zionists' on subway to ID themselves turns himself into police
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The suspect who yelled for "Zionists" riding on subway train to identify themselves has turned himself in to police.
Last week, the NYPD released a new wanted poster of the man they were looking for.
On Wednesday morning, officials said Anas Saleh of Staten Island surrendered with his attorney at Transit District 2 at West Broadway and Lispenard Street in Manhattan and received a desk appearance ticket for coercion.
As soon as Saleh walked out, people with umbrellas and scarves came out and tried to block the media from filming or even getting close to him. They even blocked the stairs out of the subway station at one point to prevent anyone from getting out.
Saleh walked out with a hoodie, glasses, mask and his head down after being given the desk appearance ticket.
Police had been looking for Saleh after he allegedly chanted on a subway train "Raise your hands if you're a Zionist. Repeat after me; this is your chance to get out," on June 10 as the train was held at the Union Square station in Manhattan.
Video of the incident went viral two days after the incident happened, with one rider filing a police complaint in response.
His job, reportedly as a lab tech with Weill Cornell Medicine, prompted a letter from the American Jewish Medical Association, which represents thousands of health care professionals throughout the country.
"This is somebody who is supposed to be dedicating their lives to truth and to science, and for them to be perpetrating hate crimes is incredibly frightening," said Dr. Yael Halaas, founder and president of AJMA. "We are seeing more and more cases of antisemitism rising to violence. And it's completely unacceptable and frightening for many of us. We are seeing signs of what occurred in Nazi Germany before the Holocaust.
A spokesperson from Weill Cornell Medicine released the following statement:
"We condemn antisemitism in the strongest possible terms. We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and conducting our own internal review. Employment matters are confidentially managed."
Both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have expressed concerns over the video, saying threatening and antisemitic language is not free speech.
"Mayor Adams has been clear: New York City will always protect the right to free speech, but we will never allow our city to descend into lawlessness," a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement. "Threatening New Yorkers based on their beliefs is not only vile, it's illegal and will not be tolerated. Let this be a lesson to all those who think they can act illegally and then hide: The NYPD will find you and charge you in accordance with the law."
The incident has also sparked a discussion about reinstating a mask ban in the city.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
