The man, charged with stabbing a rabbi multiple times in Brighton, now faces civil rights and hate crimes charges as he is being taken to a mental hospital for further investigation and is under an ICE prisoner.
District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office filed two new charges against Khaled Awad on Thursday: civil rights violation with violation, and assault and assault for intimidation. This includes what constitutes a hate crime charge, she told reporters after the indictment.
“We believe this was due to anti-Semitism,” said Rollins on the steps of the courthouse, which was within sight of the school where Awad allegedly attacked the rabbi.
Awad, 24, has faced seven charges, including assault and assault with a dangerous weapon and assault and assault of a police officer.
Immigration and Customs has a prisoner on Awad, which means ICE is applying for his detention because he is being investigated into a possible illegal stay in the country.
Authorities say he stabbed Rabbi Shlomo Noginski to death “eight or nine” in broad daylight outside the Shaloh House Jewish day school in Brighton last week. Noginski is now recovering at home with his family.
Margaret Hegarty, an assistant prosecutor in Rollins’ office, described a chilling scene outside the school last week. The rabbi was there on the stairs when a man – now identified by prosecutors as Awad – came up to him and “waved a gun.”
Awad then looked for and received the keys to the school car nearby, whereupon he gestured that “the rabbi should get into the car”. Noginski then ran across Brighton Common across the street – with Awad in pursuit, authorities said.
Awad then stabbed him several times before the rabbi managed to return to the school – which is just a few hundred yards from the courthouse where he was charged. Hegarty also said Awad had been to school the day before and acted weird enough for someone to take a picture.
Awad’s attorney Stephen Weymouth dismissed the idea that this was a hate crime, saying it was more of a “casual crime” to steal the van.
Hegarty said Awad had expressed his dislike of “Jews, Christians and American culture” and said he had recently used “derogatory” terms about Jews. Prosecutors noted that he was also critical of blacks, whites and other groups, but as Rollins put it, he was “particularly harsh on Jews”.
A psychologist recommended that the judge take Awad to a state hospital for further investigation before moving the case forward to a dangerous hearing to see if he stays behind bars. The psychologist said Awad had a documented history of mental illness and that he had stopped taking his bipolar medication.
Awad is being held at the Bridgewater State Hospital for evaluation for the next 20 days. The hearing on the dangerousness will now continue on July 29th.
Comments are closed.