Washington DC police arrest suspect in antisemitic vandalism of synagogue

WASHINGTON – The Washington police department on Monday arrested a suspect under suspicion of vandalizing the Sixth & I synagogue with swastika graffiti last Friday.

A bench warrant was issued for 28-year-old Luis Montsinos, who has no fixed address.

He was arrested not far from the synagogue and was placed under arrest for defacing and destroying property and resisting arrest, according to Washington police.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned on Tuesday the antisemitic vandalism of the historic synagogue and pledged to work with the DC police department to prevent such incidents from happening again.

“Sixth & I is a pillar of DC values, a center of inclusivity, community and spirituality,” Bowser tweeted. “That members of our community had to face antisemitism during a weekend focused on gratitude is heartbreaking and today we send them and the entire DC Jewish community a signal of love, strength and solidarity,” she added.

“Hate crimes against any of our communities have no place in DC, and we will continue to work vigilantly with MPD [Metropolitan Police Department] to pursue every resource to prevent these acts and hold perpetrators accountable,” the mayor concluded.

“This past Friday, less than 24 hours after many of us sat around the Thanksgiving table in gratitude, antisemitic graffiti was carved into a door and drawn on a stairway of our historic building,” Heather Moran, Sixth & I’s CEO and executive director, said in a statement.

“While the damage to the building is minimal and will be fixed quickly, the emotional scars of such a hateful act will take longer to heal. Nothing is more important than the security and safety of our community, and we are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department and other local law enforcement.”