Brooklyn, NY – Less than a week after an arson and hate crime in Midwood, Brooklyn which resulted in the torching and burning of several vehicles, as well as anti-Semitic graffiti, vandals have struck again, this time defacing the Avenue J subway sign by adding the letters “EW,” so the station name read “Avenue JEW.”

A concerned constituent who saw the grafittied sign while on the train snapped a photo and contacted Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn). The Transit Police have since removed the sign and are investigating this incident as a bias crime.

“Education and vigilance are our only weapons in fighting against this blatant hatred,” said Hikind. “We must send a message to those who perpetrate these vile acts that we will not tolerate their behavior. These cowards need to know that we will find them wherever they lurk, and when we do, we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Yesterday, Hikind announced that the reward money for credible information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for last week’s hate crime had increased to $56,000. Anyone with information relating to that crime is urged to call the NYPD tip hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).