Anti-Muslim hate crimes suspect (NYPD)
July 28, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A 30-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for a string of anti-Muslim hate crimes in Southeast Queens.
Naved Durrni, of Jamaica, was cuffed and charged with assault as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon and other charges. He allegedly beat two Muslim couples and threatened a third Muslim woman with a knife in three separate incidents over the course of the past six weeks.
Durrni began his alleged racist tirade on June 20 in South Richmond Hill.
He first approached a Muslim couple shortly after 9 p.m. near Liberty Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard. Durrni followed a 31-year-old man and 24-year-old woman while taunting them with anti-Muslim remarks. He then punched the man in the back and tugged at the woman’s hijab while punching her in the arm, police said.
Neither was seriously injured.
Durrni struck again an hour later by Inwood Street and Liberty Avenue, about a mile away from the previous incident. This time he approached an older pair, a 64-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman, while making a number of anti-Muslim statements once again.
He allegedly followed the pair and then punched the woman multiple times in the face and head before fleeing, police said. The woman suffered a fractured nose and was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition.
The apparent bigot once again targeted a Muslim woman over the weekend.
Durrni followed a 38-year-old woman near Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue and allegedly threatened her with a knife while making anti-Muslim statements at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. He fled southbound on Sutphin Boulevard.
Durrni turned himself in to police after seeing photos of himself on the news, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
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