Dawood Faisal allegedly vandalized a kosher restaurant twice in Queens before getting behind the wheel and triggering a chain-reaction crash that took the life of Cara Trager — the mother of a former Trump National Security Council official.
Prosecutors now say Faisal attacked the same Jewish-owned bagel shop on May 15 and May 23, smashing planters and hurling dirt at the storefront in a heavily Jewish neighborhood.
Two days after the second attack, on May 25, authorities say Faisal sped through Queens at 75 mph in a 35 mph zone, ran two red lights, and slammed into multiple vehicles. One of those vehicles struck Trager and her husband Michael as they crossed the street after dinner.
Trager, 71, suffered severe head trauma and passed away four days later. Her husband survived with a shoulder injury, lacerations, and facial bruising.
The timing has left the family asking whether Cara’s life could have been saved if authorities had acted on the earlier hate-crime reports.
“This has turned our existing nightmare into a greater nightmare, showing us that my mother’s death may have been prevented. The antisemitic vandalism crimes were known and widely publicized. Yet, this hateful dangerous man remained on the loose and soon took my mother from us.”
Cara’s son, Eric Trager, served as a senior director for Middle East and North Africa on President Trump’s National Security Council from January to May 2025, working closely with Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff on Middle East policy and the Gaza ceasefire.
According to prosecutors, Faisal first targeted Bagels & Co. on May 15 around 6:18 p.m., knocking over nine metal plant stands and throwing dirt at the storefront. The restaurant openly displays itself as kosher and flies Israeli flags.
Eight days later, at approximately 1 a.m. on May 23 — early Saturday morning during Shabbat — prosecutors allege Faisal returned and destroyed 11 metal plant stands, emptied their contents onto the sidewalk, and ripped plants out of pots when he couldn’t knock them over.
Video footage from the second attack shows Faisal smashing furniture and planters while wearing what appears to be traditional Muslim garb. Department of Correction records list his country of origin as Pakistan.
On May 25, Faisal allegedly drove southbound on Francis Lewis Boulevard at 7:48 p.m., hitting speeds over 75 mph and running at least two red lights before slamming into a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and then a Nissan Rogue. The Nissan was sent into the crosswalk, striking Cara and Michael Trager as they walked home.
Michael recalled the moment in an interview with The Daily Wire.
“The first thing I did was I started punching myself to say, ‘Oh, gee, I’m still alive here.’ Then I saw that my wife was dead. I couldn’t believe it happened because I didn’t do anything wrong. We were crossing the street, and next thing I know, I’m on the ground with my wife.”
After the collision, Faisal allegedly attempted to flee before picking up a stick to fight off good Samaritans who detained him until police arrived.
Faisal, 22, was arrested and indicted in June on second-degree manslaughter, assault, and other charges. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded into custody without bail. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charges.
On July 31, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Faisal had been arraigned on separate hate-crime charges stemming from the two attacks on Bagels & Co.
“As alleged, this defendant repeatedly targeted a Jewish-owned business and destroyed property in a vile act of antisemitism,” Katz said. If convicted on the hate-crime charges, Faisal faces up to seven years in prison.
Authorities said Faisal is not working or in school and was not on substances during the crash.
Michael Trager attended Faisal’s arraignment just days after the crash while his wife was still hospitalized and dying from her injuries. Faisal’s family was also present, and Michael said the accused’s mother repeatedly cried in the courtroom.
“I’m thinking to myself, ‘What are you crying for? Are you crying for your son, or are you crying because your son took my wife from us? Why are you crying?'” Michael said.
Although authorities are not investigating the crash as a hate crime, Michael believes the circumstances deserve scrutiny — particularly given the heavily Jewish neighborhood where the crash occurred and Faisal’s alleged attacks on the Jewish business days earlier.
“My contention is that the area itself is very, very Jewish,” Michael told The Daily Wire. “It’s Bukharian, it’s a Russian Jewish area, and most of the people who were eyewitnesses, the people who detained him, were Bukharian Jews.”
Michael said the circumstances made it more likely that the victims would be Jewish, even if he does not believe that proves his wife was specifically targeted. “If you’re going to do that kind of act in that area, at that time, you’re more than likely going to harm a Jew,” he said.
Cara Trager was a longtime Queens journalist who wrote for Newsday, the New York Post, and Crain’s New York Business. She also produced publications and marketing materials for Jewish organizations including UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Theological Seminary.
She served on the board of Solomon Schechter School of Queens, a Jewish day school, and held leadership positions at her synagogue, Etz Hayim at Hollis Hills Bayside. Her husband described her as deeply committed to Israel and Judaism.
New NYPD data show that Jews were the targets in 70% of confirmed hate crimes reported in New York City in July, despite making up roughly 10% of the city’s population.
Queens has been particularly affected. In early May, four people allegedly spray-painted swastikas and antisemitic messages on synagogues, Jewish homes, and a car in Flushing and Forest Hills. Days later, nearly a dozen swastikas were discovered at two Queens parks on Mother’s Day.
On May 18, Albert Itzkowitz, a 75-year-old former kosher bakery owner and rabbi, was found fatally wounded in Kissena Park. Police have ruled his case a homicide but have not identified a suspect or motive. His family has urged investigators to consider whether he was targeted because he was Jewish. The NYPD and Itzkowitz’s family have offered a combined $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
In July, two Orthodox synagogues in Queens were vandalized with feces and motor oil in attacks the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating as potential hate crimes.
Faisal’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 8. Michael said he has been warned that Faisal could eventually be released on bail — a prospect that has left him fearful for his own safety.
The charges remain allegations. The case has not been proven in court.
