Suspect arrested in assault of Jewish father in front of his children in Montreal's Parc-Extension

Montreal Gazette

a day ago

Montreal Crime
The Montreal police have arrested a 24-year-old suspect in connection with the assault of a Jewish man in front of his children in the city's Parc-Extension neighbourhood last week.
The attack, which was captured on video, sparked widespread condemnation from politicians and Jewish advocacy groups.
Police confirmed the arrest on Monday afternoon.
'It's a relief to the community and relief to the victim,' said Mayer Feig, an activist and spokesperson for Montreal's Hasidic community who posted the video on X. 'He's very, very traumatized and so are his kids.'
The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. Friday at Dickie-Moore Park, near the intersection of de l'Épée and Beaumont Aves.
According to police, the victim, 32, had made his way to the park with his young children when the suspect approached him and sprayed him with his water bottle.
Police say the victim attempted to confront the suspect over it, who then 'pushed him to the ground and punched him several times in the face and kneed him.'
In the video, the suspect can be seen repeatedly punching the victim while he is on the ground. A little girl can be heard yelling as she stands beside and then clings to the victim, who manages to make it back on his knees and eventually stands.
The video ends with the suspect walking away and throwing what appears to be a kippah on the wet ground near a fountain.
Feig said the victim was hospitalized following the attack and suffered a broken nose.
He said Monday's arrest came after a member of the community noticed a man resembling the suspect in the video in the same park and notified authorities.
While he noted the attack could have been random, Feig said he believes it was motivated by hate.
'(The suspect) finds his kippah there, which is his religious symbol, and takes it and flings it into the water,' Feig said. 'That leads me to believe — even though he didn't say anything — that it was based on hate.'
Police said the suspect was still being interviewed by investigators Monday afternoon and noted the investigation is ongoing.
'The SPVM spared no effort in locating the suspect and is continuing its investigation to shed light on the circumstances surrounding this criminal act,' the police department said in a statement.
'The SPVM would like to thank the citizens who contributed to this outcome by providing information that helped locate the suspect,' it added.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney described the attack as 'an appalling act of violence,' saying everyone in Canada has 'an inalienable right to live in safety.'
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM.