The hateful anti-Israel vandals who attempted to destroy Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s office in Washington Heights were caught on surveillance footage obtained exclusively by The Post.
The footage shows two thugs – wearing hoods and surgical masks – starting Tuesday’s rampage by lifting a roller door that protected the workplace of the lawmaker, who has previously been targeted for his support of the Jewish community.
As the 90-second clip continues, one of the masked vandals begins viciously hammering on the glass windows, while the other begins to saturate the area with blood-red spray paint before they both abruptly leave.
Congressman Espaillat said he was shocked to find broken glass and puddles of red paint with the words “FREE GAZA” scrawled in black on the sidewalk.
Still, he knew he would be a target for anti-Israel groups protesting on Oct. 7, noting that he was listed on a flyer, Espaillat told The Post on Tuesday.
“Instead of advocating for peace, for a resolution to the conflict and justice, they resorted to violence and vandalism, which I found very sad and unfortunate,” said the congressman, who spoke out when students were attacked by anti- Israeli groups. .
Police and Espaillat confirmed that as many as four suspects had come to vandalize the congressman’s office, although only two people are seen in the footage. It is being investigated as a hate crime.
The vandalism was reported at 4:15 a.m., but Espaillat said it happened around 3 a.m.
He and his staff worked around the clock to clean up the mess, despite the incident leaving the five employees who work there shaken, Espaillat revealed.
This was the second attack on the Washington Heights office, which was also spray-painted by a vandal on September 27. The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating both cases.
The incident comes a year after Hamas terrorists’ brutal attack on Israel – which killed 1,200 innocent Israelis and took 250 hostage – sparking war in the region. Ninety-seven hostages are still being held captive in Gaza.
Thousands of anti-Israel protesters swarmed Manhattan, with one group — led by Within Our Lifetime — starting on Wall Street and moving uptown, growing to about 2,000 people.
Another crowd of protesters also descended on Washington Square Park before heading into the city on Monday.
During the day, seven anti-Israel protesters were arrested at demonstrations in Manhattan — including a 23-year-old New Jersey man accused of kicking an NYPD captain in the chest.
Of the seven taken into custody, two have been released with citations, and five face charges that require an arraignment, police said.
