By COLlive reporter
The New York Police Departement released video footage of a man they say is a suspect in the torching of the iconic Mitzvah bus in Crown Heights.
Owned and used by the artist Lev Scheiber (aka Leviticus), the minibus was found burnt on Monday morning, possibly torched the night before.
The bus became famous when it was featured in singer Benny Friedman‘s upbeat music video “Ivri Anochi – I’m a Jew and I’m Proud” which garnered over two million views.
On Tuesday, elected officials, community activists, and people from the Jewish music industry gathered in front of the bus in a show of solidarity with the artist and the significance of the bus itself.
Local officials spoke out against the act which was “an attack on our way of life,” and which was determined to be intentional and is being investigated as a hate crime by the NYPD.
The NYPD released surveillance footage on Thursday morning showing “person of interest” in the case. They said the man fled the scene on foot on Troy Avenue towards East New York Avenue in Crown Heights.
He is described as a black man, last seen wearing a white short sleeve T-shirt with writing on the front, black pants, a black baseball hat worn backwards, ABC7 reported.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
VIDEO:
The NYPD just released surveillance video of the suspect wanted for torching a Jewish bus in crown heights – @ADL_NY @KolHaolam pic.twitter.com/n1p0ChDhCj
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) June 29, 2017
All they do is look for things to destroy. B”H we are involved in building, that’s the legacy we leave.
So many children and people were obsessed with the bus!
Hashgacha pratis, it prob fulfilled its shlichus here on this world..
Hashem Yishmor!
Terrible! We need Moshiach NOW!!