A hate-filled stranger yanked a hijab off a teen’s head and snarled “you don’t need to be wearing that here” on a Manhattan street last month, authorities said Wednesday.
The grinning man ran up to the unsuspecting 17-year-old girl and snatched the covering on April 28 around noon on East 44th Street near Second Avenue in Tudor City, according to cops.
Police said the suspect — who was caught on surveillance footage with a wide smile — then fled northbound on Second Avenue.
It’s unclear if he threw the hijab to the ground or ran off with it, authorities said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the broad daylight incident.
The attack comes as hate crimes continue to surge across the Big Apple during the deadly Israel-Hamas war.
Anti-Muslim incidents are up a whopping 175 percent this year compared to the same time period from 2023, with 11 reported attacks taking place through the end of April, according to NYPD data.