WASHINGTON — A D.C. man is facing charges after police say he assaulted a rabbi who was his rideshare passenger just days after kicking in the door of another customer who canceled a food delivery order he failed to deliver.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, 32-year-old Tireek Myrick of Northwest D.C. is charged with burglary one and simple assault for the two attacks that reportedly happened a little more than two weeks apart.
According to an incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department, Rabbi Menachem Shemtov requested a ride through the Lyft app, and Myrick picked him up at the corner of Leroy Place Northwest and Connecticut Avenue Northwest.
During the ride, Shemtov asked Myrick to turn the radio down. Myrick then reportedly canceled the ride after the request and said "I don't like your energy, it's throwing me off, your energy offends me."
After Shemtov got out of the car, police say Myrick followed him repeatedly asking them "Why'd you slam my door?"
Police allege Myrick then punched the victim in the face, knocking off the victim's yarmulke. While Myrick was walking back to his car, police say Shemtov tried to stop him from leaving. That is when Myrick allegedly slapped Shemtov with his hand and keys multiple times.
"He came after me and he chased me," Shemtov told WUSA9 in an interview Monday. "I told him to get away from me. He punched me in my face and knocked out my kippah. It was totally unprovoked. Here I was getting attacked for my 'energy.'"
Police say they are investigating whether or not the attack was motivated by hate or bias.
This wasn't the first time police say Myrick terrorized a customer while working. A little more than two weeks earlier, he reportedly kicked in the door of an Instacart customer who had canceled their order.
Officers say on Saturday, January 13, Myrick went to pick up a food delivery order shortly after 12:15 p.m. A police report says Myrick took the order through Instacart and claimed he delivered it but the photo he attached to the order was just a picture of the sky. When the victim looked for their food, they found nothing and canceled the order.
Police say a short time later, Myrick went to the victim's home and began yelling "Give me my money" and banging on the door. The victims did not open the door, but seconds later Myrick reportedly kicked it in.
The police report paints an intense picture of what happened in the moments after Myrick reportedly kicked in the door and walked inside the home.
"[Myrick] started to get closer to both victims and [Victim 2] and [Witness] started to scream and cry in fear," the report reads.
One of the victims grabbed a chair to try to protect the two others inside the home but Myrick reportedly grabbed the chair and threw it on the floor. The report goes on to say Myrick continued to yell "Where is my money? If I don't get my money, I swear to God," while he walked forward and smacked his fist into his hand over and over again.
The police report further alleges that Myrick stopped advancing instantly after one of the victims yelled out loud "Jesus help us" and began to pray. Myrick reportedly started walking backward and left with the victim's laptop.
Myrick's arrest was announced Tuesday. Anyone with information may contact detectives at (202) 727-9099 or by texting 50411.
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