An anti-Muslim attacker was busted for randomly punching a 12-year-old girl and assaulting two hijab-wearing women in a broad-daylight Brooklyn rampage – but was cut loose on supervision a day later, authorities and prosecutors said.
Megan Horne, 34, allegedly approached her first victim, a 33-year-old woman, around 2:25 p.m. on 5th Avenue near 89th Street and pushed and kicked her while spewing the hateful comments, cops said.
“Get out of this country,” she allegedly seethed, according to a criminal complaint.
“Get out of this country,” Horne, 34, allegedly sneered at one of her hijab-wearing victims. X/NewYorkStateAG
Then, around 8 minutes later, Horne allegedly pushed a 39-year-old woman from behind as she tried to board a B53 bus on 92nd Street near Gelston Avenue, police said.
“I go first,” she allegedly snapped at that victim, the court doc said.
Her final victim was the pre-teen, who she allegedly punched in the face at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 92nd Street around 2:35 p.m., cops said.
Horne was arrested on Wednesday and charged with assault and aggravated harassment, both as hate crimes, police said.
She was granted supervised release during her Thursday arraignment before Judge Edward Daniels – over prosecutors’ request for $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.
Horne allegedly targeted a 12-year-old girl, and two women, 34 and 39, during her violent spree, cops said. News12
Horne has one previous arrest, for allegedly punching and slapping a 64-year-old woman – a stranger – in the face multiple times on Forest Avenue near Jewett Avenue in Staten Island last October, authorities said.
The hate crime attacks drew a swift rebuke from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“I am outraged by the despicable, cowardly attacks against Muslim New Yorkers in Bay Ridge last week—one of which was on a 12-year-old girl,” Hizzoner posted on X. “This violence is unacceptable, and we know that all too often visibly Muslim, hijab-wearing women and girls bear the brunt of it.
Council Member Kayla Santosuosso said she is “disgusted and angry” by the attacks. News12
Gov. Kathy Hochul also chimed in, condemning the violence.
“Grateful to see an arrest made in the disgusting, Islamophobic attacks in Bay Ridge,” she wrote. “No New Yorker, especially a child, should ever be targeted because of their faith.”
“We will continue to crack down on hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Council Member Kayla Santosuosso, who represents the area, said in a statement that she is “disgusted and angry,” but “unfortunately not shocked,” by the hate-fueled attacks.
“I want to underscore that these incidents did not happen in isolation,” Santosuosso said. “There is a disturbing current of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment pervading both our online and in-person worlds.”
Anti-Muslim hate crimes spiked last month, with seven reported citywide, compared to none in January of 2025, police said.
Meanwhile, antisemitic incidents skyrocketed 182% across the Big Apple in January compared to a year ago, even as other crimes such as murders and shootings reached record lows, according to NYPD data.
There were 31 hate crimes against Jewish people reported in the first month of 2026, which is 20 more than the same time last year, the startling stats show.