Jewish man assaulted at Northwest DC park in alleged hate crime, police say

WASHINGTON - Police are investigating an assault on a Jewish man in Northwest D.C. as a hate incident. The victim, Ariel Golfeyz, spoke with FOX 5 about the scary incident Wednesday.

Golfeyz reached out to FOX 5 following the attack, saying he wanted to make sure people were aware of the incident.

According to a D.C. Police report, just after 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10, an officer was called to the park next to George Washington University Hospital at 890 23rd Street, NW, for a report of an assault.

The victim told the responding officer that he was walking through the park on his way to work when a suspect, came up to him and, without saying a word, started punching him in the face. 

Golfeyz told police that after he had already been punched five or six times, the suspect used a racial slur and started saying, "You are not the real Jewish" and "you guys are murderers. You guys kill people in Gaza and in America."

Golfeyz sustained minor injuries to his face and minor laceration to his right elbow. He was treated on scene for his injuries. 

He says he believed he was targeted by the suspect because he was wearing his yamaka on his head.  He told FOX 5 that he no longer feels safe showing his religious items in the District now. 

"I wouldn’t say I’m afraid but I will say that I will most likely be covering my religious objects from now on in Washington, D.C. just because of what happened," Golfeyz said. "I don’t think I will be, you know, wearing my religious objects anymore in Washington, D.C."

A special police officer from GWU was the first to arrive at the scene and detained the suspect until he was taken into custody by MPD officers. 

The suspect has been identified as 38-year-old Walter James. 

James also sustained minor laceration to his right knee. He was placed under arrest for simple assault and hate bias crime.