Manhattan man accused of hate crime attack on teen bus rider wearing turban

A man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a teenage bus rider and attempting to remove his turban last weekend in what police are calling a hate crime.

Manhattan resident Christopher Philippeaux, 26, was spotted at the intersection of East 116th Street and 2nd Avenue and taken into custody Thursday evening, four days after the Oct. 15 attack. Police said he was recognized from “wanted” materials they had issued after the attack.

Police alleged Philippeaux was on board an MTA shuttle bus near 118th Street and Liberty Avenue in Queens around 9 a.m. Sunday when he approached the 19-year-old victim and stated, “We don’t wear that in this country and take that mask off!”

Cops said Philippeaux proceeded to punch the teen in the back of the head, face and back, and tried to remove his turban. The teen suffered pain and a minor laceration, according to police, and refused further medical treatment at the scene.

The teen was Sikh — a community that often faces anti-Islamic backlash despite not being Muslim — according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz's office, which announced Saturday that Philippeaux was arraigned on charges of third-degree assault as a hate crime and second-degree aggravated harassment.

"Unprovoked attacks, especially ones motivated by hate, will not be tolerated," Katz said in a statement.

Police have been on heightened alert for hate crimes against Muslims and Jews in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. So far there have been scattered instances of such attacks, but officials say there has not yet been a statistically significant uptick.

Philippeaux's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He is due to appear in court again Monday, according to the DA's office.

This story has been updated with additional information from the Queens District Attorney's Office.