OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
2:40 PM – Sunday, November 19, 2023
An Ohio man has been detained for reportedly lying to police officers about being the “victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime.”
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According to authorities, 20-year-old Hesham Ayyad is facing charges for allegedly lying about how he “suffered injuries” for being the “victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime.”
On October 22nd, Ayyad was taken to the hospital after claiming to police officers that he had been struck by a vehicle in a “racially motivated” assault.
Ayyad claimed to the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) that a male driver had “yelled anti-Palestinian insults” at him and then proceeded to “hit him with his car,” according to a CAIR press release.
According to the CAIR press release, Ayyad told CAIR officials that while he was walking home from lunch near the Olmsted Falls and North Ridgeville border, a car slowed down next to him and the driver yelled phrases like “Kill all Palestinians” and “Long live Israel” at him.
Ayyad alleged that he was hit by the vehicle on Cook Road in Olmsted Township near the North Ridgeville border.
“The driver then allegedly turned around and hit the man while shouting ‘DIE!’” CAIR stated.
The release additionally included an image of Ayyad lying in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace.
“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,” Cleveland Interim Executive Director Faten Odeh said.
Officials reviewed video footage from the location of the incident and concluded that Ayyad had lied about being struck by the vehicle and lied about the racial insults.
On Tuesday, North Ridgefield police arrested Ayyad and announced that he lied about the incident and that his injuries had actually come from a feud with his brother.
“The injuries sustained at the time of the incident were caused by a violent fight that the alleged victim had participated in with his brother, which was confirmed by area video surveillance,” police said.
As a result, Ayyad has been charged with making false alarms, falsification, obstructing official business, domestic violence and assault, according to records from the Lorain County Jail.
His brother, 19-year-old Khalil Ayyad, was also detained and charged with domestic violence and assault for his participation in the fight.
Both brothers are set to appear in Elyria Municipal Court this week.
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