A heavy metal vandal defaced the steps of an Upper East Side synagogue with a menacing drawing of what appeared to be a red eye, cops said Tuesday.
The unidentified man — who can be seen in security footage wearing a “Metallica” T-shirt — used what police believe was a red marker to draw the image on the steps of Temple Emanu-El on East 65th Street near Fifth Avenue just after midnight July 14, cops said.
Footage reviewed by the NYPD shows the supect pulling markers out of a bag during the early-morning mischief, police said.
A synagogue employee reported the incident to the NYPD, who said the culprit fled on foot after defiling the place of worship.
He was still on the loose Tuesday evening.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is currently investigating and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the perpetrator.
Temple Emanu-El was established in 1845 and is considered a historical and architectural landmark.
Anyone with information on the vandalism is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips,” said the NYPD in their statement.