New York man charged with hate crimes after series of street attacks

A man arrested in March following a series of random attacks across New York City last year has been charged with hate crimes in connection with several incidents, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Skiboky Stora, 40, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged with assault, stalking and harassing strangers. The charges related to a series of “misogynistic, anti-white and anti-Semitic incidents” that occurred between September of last year and March of this year, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Stora is charged with three counts of third-degree assault as a hate crime, one count each of third-degree stalking as a hate crime and second-degree aggravated harassment.

“Skiboky Stora allegedly committed a series of hate-motivated incidents against multiple individuals based on their perceived gender, race and religion,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Above all, what defines our city is respect and acceptance of all people. No one should have to fear for their safety because of their identity.”

Stora was initially arrested on assault charges in connection with an attack on at least one woman as she walked through the streets of Manhattan, a New York Police Department spokesperson previously told USA TODAY. A 23-year-old woman had reported to police that she was walking through the Chelsea neighborhood on the morning of March 25 when an unknown person struck her in the head.

The victim fell to the ground and suffered pain and swelling on the left side of her head, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The victim shared her story on TikTok and Stora was arrested two days after the incident following a joint investigation by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force and the District Attorney’s Office.

The incident came amid unprovoked attacks reported by nearly half a dozen women across New York City who said an unknown person punched them in the head or face. Police previously confirmed to USA TODAY that they were investigating a similar attack on St. Patrick’s Day involving a 25-year-old woman.

Suspect charged with four counts of hate crime

In addition to the March 25 attack, prosecutors accused Stora of committing hate crimes in three other incidents in 2023.

On September 20, 2023, Stora allegedly elbowed a 17-year-old student in the neck and used a curse word: “You people think you can do whatever you want,” court documents say. The incident also occurred in Chelsea.

Then on Oct. 26, Stora elbowed a 37-year-old woman in the left shoulder, causing pain and bruising, court documents say. The woman was walking past Stora in Chelsea when the incident occurred.

And on Nov. 18, a Jewish couple – a 28-year-old woman and her 28-year-old husband – were walking their dogs in Union Square when they saw Stora tearing down posters depicting Israeli hostages and stopped to take a photo of him, according to court documents. When Stora noticed the couple looking at him, he began following them and shouting anti-white and anti-Semitic remarks.

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