Fromthe Daily News by Mike Jaccarino and Bob Kappstatter:It was fear and loathing on the streets of the west Bronx on Wednesday after a string of bias attacks on members of the local Mexican community.
A group of Hispanic males, believed to be Dominican, attacked a total of five men in the early morning hours over a three-day period, spewing anti-Mexican epithets, beating them and - in one case - stabbing one.
The NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is pursuing the attackers, as locals in the Tremont neighborhood condemned the attacks.
"It's extremely upsetting," said Danny Martinez, a 19-year-old Bronxite of Mexican descent. "I live around here and to know that I may be in danger."
"It's abuse and racism," added Juana Ortega, 40. "I'm afraid, and, as a Mexican, I suffer with the people who were attacked."
Yesterday afternoon, local State Sen. Pedro Espada condemned the attacks as "hate crimes" and added $1,000 to a standing police reward of $2,000 for information leading to the arrest of the attackers.
"It's very disturbing," Espada said. "This kind of abuse knows no ethnic boundaries. It's against people perceived to have no power or rights."
The first attack occurred at 1:45 a.m. Saturday at 182nd St. and Grand Concourse when four men shouting anti-Mexican slurs chased and beat two 24-year-old men.
About 4 a.m. Sunday at 182nd St. and Walton Ave., a 53-year-old man was assaulted and stabbed in the torso by a group of five men. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital in stable condition.
Little over 24 hours later, several men pounced on a 47-year-old man outside a building on E. 181st St. He was taken Lincoln Hospital in stable condition.
Meanwhile, police were reaching out to the local community asking for their help with information.
"We're reaching out to the churches, which have a lot of Mexicans, to make them aware, to not be afraid to report crime to the police," said Detective Warren Thompson, the 46th Precinct community affairs officer. "There's a lot of fear - the same thing with Muslims, Africans and locals from other countries - they're afraid to go to the police because they're afraid the police will report them and they'll be deported. That's not the case. We don't function that way."
Police are asking anyone with information on the bias attacks to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or log on to www.nypd-crimestoppers.com.
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