An Ohio man faces multiple criminal charges after claiming to be the victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime in October, in what police now believe was a completely fabricated story.
Hesham A. Ayyad, 20, of North Olmsted allegedly faked the hate attack, telling officers that he had been hit by a car in a “racially motivated” incident, WKYC reported.
Last month, Muslim group CAIR and various influencers made a story go viral about a Muslim man in Ohio who said he was seriously injured by a car driven by a person who screamed “Kill all Palestinians” and “Long live Israel.” Northridge Police investigated & determined it was a… pic.twitter.com/HJGdntw1Yl
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 18, 2023
Ayyad claimed to North Ridgeville detectives that the alleged crime took place on Cook Road in Olmsted Township on October 22, after which he was taken to the hospital.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) Cleveland branch demanded a hate crime probe in an article posted the day after Ayyad made the report, shedding more light onto his claims.
According to the organization, Ayyad claimed he was walking home from lunch when the driver of an approaching vehicle rolled his window down to shout, “Kill all Palestinians” and “Long live Israel” before swerving and hitting Ayyad with the car and driving away while screaming, “Die!”
CAIR included a photo of Ayyad in the hospital, showing him lying on a gurney with a neck brace.
“We call on state, local and federal law enforcement authorities to monitor and investigate crimes related to the rising Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism,” said Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh. “We hope the North Ridgeville Police Department and the FBI will collect all the information they need to charge this individual with a hate crime. We should all feel safe to walk down the street to grab a bite to eat, go to the store and go to school.”
However, North Ridgeville police “eventually determined Ayyad had made the whole thing up,” WKYC reported.
A release from the department obtained by the local outlet states that Ayyad was never struck by a vehicle or victimized by racially motivated threats based on further investigation and was actually injured during an earlier fight with his brother.
Authorities said they were able to confirm the altercation with 19-year-old Khalil A. Ayyad with video footage.
Both brothers were arrested Tuesday and charged with domestic violence and assault. The alleged hate crime-faker was also hit with additional charges of making false alarms, falsification, and obstructing official business.
The Ayyads were released from custody Wednesday posting bond, and both are due back in court on Tuesday.
