A 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with burglarizing two synagogues in the Village of Monticello just days apart, according to police and News 12 Westchester.
The woman faces two counts of third-degree burglary following an investigation into break-ins at synagogues located at the Pine Knoll Bungalow colony and 70 Wood Avenue.
Police were called to the Pine Knoll Bungalow colony, at 198 Forestburgh Road, at approximately 2:00 a.m. Thursday after receiving a report of a burglary in progress. Surveillance footage showed two individuals entering the synagogue and moving around the property.
Officers soon encountered the suspects, prompting a foot chase. The 33-year-old woman was ultimately found hiding beneath a building and arrested, while the second suspect managed to evade police.
Investigators subsequently reviewed surveillance footage from the burglary at 70 Wood Avenue, which occurred two days earlier. According to authorities, the footage connected the 33-year-old to that break-in as well.
She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance. Police continue to search for the other person allegedly involved in the burglaries.
The arrests come amid an increase in reported hate crimes in New York City. NYPD statistics released last week showed 425 hate crimes during the first eight months of 2026, compared with 367 during the same period a year earlier, representing a 15.8 percent increase.
Antisemitic incidents accounted for much of the overall rise, with antisemitic hate crimes increasing eight percent year over year and representing the majority of hate crimes recorded in the city.
At the same time, the NYPD reported that overall crime declined, including a six percent decrease in major crimes such as murder.
Several recent incidents have highlighted concerns over antisemitism. Last month, a man attacked Manhattan’s Central Synagogue during Shabbat services, injuring a worshipper and causing property damage.
In August, six local youths allegedly attacked a haredi man in Borough Park and threw eggs at him. A Jewish man was also stabbed outside a synagogue in July during Tisha B’Av.