Marcendy Elie tried to hit three bicyclists with a car, deputies said. He went on an antisemitic rant after being given to a Jewish deputy for transport to jail, authorities said. (Mugshot: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
A Florida man who allegedly tried to hit several bicyclists with a car went on an antisemitic rant when given to a Jewish sheriff’s deputy for transfer to jail.
“F— n—- Jew b—-,” Marcendy Elie allegedly said. “Kanye was right. Gas the k—-.”
From an affidavit:
Marcendy’s verbal hostilities continued, to which he kicked and spat on the rear partition of the vehicle, demanding to be released from custody. Upon arrival to the detention facility, Marcendy exclaimed: ‘I would rather be arrested by a n—- than a Jew.’”
The “Kanye” quote is in reference to rapper Kanye West recently making a slew of antisemitic statements.
Online records show that Elie is in the Main Detention Center on $176,000 bond for six charges: two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of leaving the scene of an accident with bodily injuries, and one count of criminal mischief above $200 and below $1,000.
Elie had driven a blue Toyota Corolla at three people on bikes, according to the affidavit, which was heavily redacted under Marsy’s Law. Authorities noted at least one victim was an 11-year-old child, who “was so upset by the incident that she was unable to provide a statement and was extremely nervous.”
The main victim, an adult man, told investigators he and “his two [redacted]” were riding bikes when the Corolla drove fast through the neighborhood, turned left, and headed toward them.
“The vehicle barreled towards him, and the passenger side of the vehicle struck the right grip of the bicycle handlebar, causing him to fall to the ground. The vehicle barely missed his [redacted] and [redacted] told him she had thought she was going to die. He feared the driver had intentionally attempted to run him over and was going to kill his [redacted] and him. He began to yell at the vehicle to slow down. The vehicle then began to intentionally reverse and strike him in the leg with the rear bumper.”
The man said he called 911 and waited near the sole entrance/exit to the neighborhood. The suspect in the Corolla then attempted to flee out that exit, the affidavit stated. The man began to record the vehicle on his phone and ripped a piece of paper covering the license plate.
“The vehicle began to reverse in an attempt to hit him a third time, driving up onto the grassy swale in the process,” deputies said. “He jumped out of the way and managed to evade the vehicle. As the exit gate opened, the blue Toyota Corolla took off at a high rate of speed out of the neighborhood in an unknown direction.”
The affiant noted that the man sustained injuries including a torn muscle in his left leg, a bruise on his left calf, and “other possible internal injuries.”
Authorities claim they were able to track down that Corolla. It allegedly belonged to Elie’s aunt, who gave it to her brother, who gave it to the defendant. According to the arrest affidavit, a deputy initially reached Elie by phone.
The defendant “spontaneously uttered that he did nothing wrong and that ‘the other guy’ hit him with the bike,” documents stated. “I explained to Marcendy that he would need to return to the scene to provide his recollection of the event. Marcendy advised he would arrive shortly. Approximately two hours later, Marcendy had not returned.”
Authorities said the victim identified Elie through a photo lineup. Investigators finally found the Corolla, saying it had damage consistent with striking the man on the front passenger side to the rear passenger side of the vehicle.
“It should be noted that a layer of dirt and grime covered the car, with obvious impressions of where the collision took place in the form of rub marks across the whole passenger side panel of the vehicle,” the affidavit said.
Before his arrest, Elie allegedly denied wrongdoing and asserted the other man struck the vehicle. He declined to give a statement after being given his Miranda rights, deputies wrote.
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