NYPD arrests two armed suspects at Penn Station for making threats to synagogues in the New York

The NYPD arrested two people and seized weapons at Penn Station as cops uncovered and stopped a threat against the city's Jewish community on Saturday. 

One of the two men arrested was identified as Christopher Brown, 21, of Aquebogue, New York, a man with a history of mental illness who made recent threats to synagogues in the city and was wearing a swastika armband, The New York Daily News reports. 

The other was identified as Matthew Mahrer, 22, of Manhattan, the son of a former Chelsea CTE High School teacher.  

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a statement that the threat Brown and Mahrer posed to the Jewish community was uncovered Friday by state and federal law enforcement. 

'By early Saturday, the NYPD's exhaustive intelligence-gathering led to the arrest by sharp-eyed MTA police officers of two individuals entering Penn Station, in Manhattan, and the seizures of a large hunting knife, an illegal Glock 17 firearm and 30-round magazine, and several other items,' Sewell said. 

A warning went out on Friday for Christopher Brown, 22, a man with a history of mental illness who made recent threats to synagogues in the New York area. Brown and Matthew Mahrer, 22, were arrested, and their weapons seized, at Penn Station on Saturday 

It is currently unknown if Brown was meeting up with Mahrer (above) to buy the weapon from the New York City resident 

The men were spotted entering the station by sharp-eyed MTA workers. Officials said Brown had entered the city with the goal of purchasing a firearm

According to reports from federal and local law enforcement, Brown had wanted to travel to the Big Apple with the purpose of purchasing a firearm. 

It is currently unknown if he was meeting up with Mahrer to buy the weapon from him. 

Brown was charged with making a terroristic threat, aggravated harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. Mahrer was only charged with criminal possession of a weapon. 

Sewell said that Police Department commanders have been deployed strategic 'assets at sensitive locations throughout New York City,' to heighten security around Jewish communities. 

'I join all New Yorkers today in expressing my gratitude and pride for the ever-vigilant work of our NYPD women and men - who remain on-guard around-the-clock and every day to protect the peace and ensure no violence can ever come to the city and its people,' Sewell added. 

The city has reported 551 hate crimes so far this year, a 16 percent increase from the same time in 2021. 

Overall crime in the Big Apple is up 29.1 percent from last year 

Along with an increase in hate crimes, the Big Apple has seen violent crime continue to rise. 

According to the NYPD, overall crime is up 29.1 percent in New York City from last year, with felony assaults, rapes and robberies all up double digits. Murders are down 14.8 percent and shootings are down 12.5 percent.

Felony assaults are also up nearly 14 percent, with police recording 22,319 cases so far this year, and rapes have increased by nearly 11 percent.

Murders and the number of shooting victims were down 14.4 and 13.6 percent respectively.

The city's transit system appears to be bearing the brunt of surging crime, with about 1,865 reports so far in 2022, a 41.7 percent spike from last year. 

This is a developing story.