MISSOULA, MT – The Missoula County Attorney’s Office has charged a 29-year-old man with a felony hate crime after he allegedly assaulted another man in downtown Missoula because he was Jewish, according to county officials.

Authorities are hoping other people who witnessed the assault will come forward with more information.

According to Missoula authorities, at around 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Missoula Police went to the 1100 block of West Broadway on a report of an assault. Once they arrived there, they saw a man with “obvious injuries” who was bleeding from the face. They received a description of a man who had allegedly beaten the victim, and found Michael Cain not far away.

Based on statements and other evidence obtained by officers, the police believe that Cain had assaulted the victim because he had been motivated by the victim’s religious, ethnic or cultural identity of belonging to the Jewish religious community.

Cain was arrested and is being held at the Missoula County Detention facility on the charge of malicious intimidation or harassment relating to civil or human rights, a felony. This is often referred to as a “hate crime.”

The police department is also asking anyone with additional information about the crime to contact it at 406-552-6300.

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