Federal Government Takes Over Investigation Into Bochur Stabbing
The stabbing of a Crown Heights Chabad bochur in Manhattan is now being investigated as a federal hate crime.
by COLlive Editor · COLliveThe federal government has taken over the investigation into the stabbing of a Crown Heights Chabad bochur in Manhattan’s Diamond District last week, with the attack now being investigated as a federal hate crime.
The development follows the arrest of Anna Mochalova, 32, who is accused of attacking two Jewish men in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, October 21.
One of the victims, Yosef, a 26-year-old Chabad bochur from Crown Heights, was allegedly followed by Mochalova before being stabbed in the lower back with a sharp object believed to be a syringe near West 47th Street. He was hospitalized and subsequently released.
Mochalova is also accused of attacking a 37-year-old Jewish man nearby, stabbing him in the arm with a sharp object.
The incidents were initially investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. The investigation has now been taken over by federal authorities, who are examining the attacks as potential violations of federal hate crime laws.
Mochalova was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on hate crime and related charges. Bail was set at $50,000 cash or a $150,000 bond, and her next court appearance is scheduled for October 29.
As COLlive previously reported, Mochalova was arrested in Crown Heights on June 18, 2025, following an incident at Yeshivas Chovevei Torah near Eastern Parkway and Albany Avenue.
During that incident, she allegedly became aggressive after being asked to leave private property, forcibly grabbed a cellphone from a bochur who was filming her, and smashed it in the street.
Crown Heights Shmira responded to the scene and assisted the NYPD in making the arrest.
The latest development brings the Manhattan attacks under federal scrutiny as authorities continue investigating the suspected antisemitic motive.
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