Dawood Faisal Charged with Hate Crimes for Vandalizing Queens Kosher Bagel Shop

Twenty‑two‑year‑old Dawood Faisal, already under indictment for manslaughter stemming from a May traffic crash that killed 71‑year‑old Cara Trager, was arraigned on additional hate‑crime charges. Prosecutors allege he vandalized Bagels & Co., a kosher bagel shop in Fresh Meadows, Queens, on two occasions in May. On May 15 he knocked over nine metal plant stands and threw dirt at the storefront; eight days later he returned early morning, pushed and kicked eleven stands, emptied their contents, and attempted to topple a large clay planter, pulling plants from it when he could not. He faces third‑ and fourth‑degree criminal mischief counts as hate crimes, with the top count carrying up to seven years in prison. The case is being investigated by the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force in partnership with the Queens District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Bureau, and Queens DA Melinda Katz issued a statement condemning the antisemitic act.