Crazed Driver With Baseball Bat, Dog, Hurls Anti-Semitic Comments at Promenade

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, around 5:20 p.m., the bustling intersection of Third Street and Broadway in downtown Santa Monica-steps from the iconic Third Street Promenade-turned from a sunny shopping destination into the scene of a frightening confrontation. What began as an ordinary evening stroll for a Jewish couple ended in threats, a baseball bat, a dog attack, and a swift police response.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) and multiple eyewitness accounts, including video footage that quickly circulated on social media, the suspect-identified as Tar Nay-abruptly stopped his vehicle in traffic on Broadway. He began yelling threats at the couple as they crossed the street. Witnesses reported that Nay displayed a baseball bat from inside his car before pulling into the intersection, exiting the vehicle, and chasing one of the victims on foot while continuing to make threats.

The couple, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters they believe they were targeted specifically because they are Jewish. Video shared widely on Instagram shows Nay shouting obscenities, including references to "genocide" and "genociders," as he confronted them. One victim reportedly tried to note down his license plate while the woman called 911.

Nay briefly returned to his car before charging back toward the couple, this time with his dog-a male Cane Corso. The large dog chased the male victim and bit him on the thigh, causing a minor injury that was treated on scene by Santa Monica Fire Department personnel. No further medical attention was needed.

Police detained Nay a short distance away on Fourth Street. He was transported to Santa Monica Jail and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats. Animal control officers took custody of the Cane Corso and transported it to a local shelter.

SMPD officials noted that witnesses reported the suspect using "threatening and offensive language," prompting an investigation into whether the incident involved hate-motivated conduct..

One activist who shared the video, Benjamin Basire, posted on Instagram that the couple were friends of his and had asked him to publicize the incident on their behalf. "This is the reality many Jews are facing in America today," he wrote, linking it to broader concerns about rising antisemitism. "This incident happened yesterday in Santa Monica while my friend and his partner were out walking together. They were targeted and attacked by an antisemitic pro-Palestinian individual. This is the reality many Jews are facing in America today. This is globalization of intifada many of you been chanting on our campuses. Hard to believe this is Los Angeles. At least not the same LA that I know of 😔"