UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) — A man allegedly defecated on an LGBTQ+ Pride flag and used another to wipe his backside inside a Manhattan eatery, police said.
The suspect allegedly did the deeds inside Buceo 95, a tapas and wine bar, near West 95th Street and Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side on April 15 at 10 p.m., according to the NYPD.
After soiling the first flag, the suspect used another flag to clean himself, police said. The man then ran northbound on Amsterdam Avenue, authorities said.
The NYPD is investigating the incident as a hate crime. There have been 21 hate crimes committed against the LGBTQ+ community in 2023, officials said.
There were no arrests. The suspect, 40, is about 5-foot-9, and was last seen wearing a black hat, dark-colored jacket, light-colored pants, one dark-colored sneaker, and one white sneaker, police said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
