Ohio Man Arrested for Falsely Reporting Anti-Palestinian Hate Crime

A 20-year-old Ohio man, Hesham A. Ayyad, has been arrested for allegedly lying to police about being the victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime. Ayyad claimed that a driver had hurled slurs at him and hit him with a car, but police determined that he had lied about the incident and that his injuries came from a fight with his brother. Ayyad has been charged with making false alarms, falsification, obstructing official business, domestic violence, and assault. His brother, Khalil A. Ayyad, was also arrested and charged with domestic violence and assault. The incident is reminiscent of Jussie Smollett's hoax case.