New York woman charged with hate crime over alleged anti-Semitic attacks during Hanukkah

A woman accused of slapping three people in alleged anti-Semitic attacks reported in New York during Hanukkah was charged with attempted assault as a hate crime, The Associated Press reported.

Tiffany Harris, 30, was released without bail after an arraignment on the hate crime charge in addition to misdemeanor and lower-level charges, according to court records, the AP reported.

Police allege that Harris slapped three women, ranging in age from 22 to 31, in the head after seeing them on the street in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn. The women suffered minor pain. 

Since Dec. 13, police have gotten eight reports of attacks that were possibly anti-Semitic.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Friday that the New York Police Department would increase its police presence in Crown Heights and two other areas of Brooklyn with significant Jewish populations.