Man arrested in hate crimes

Police said suspect targeted a Jewish synagogue, other property

A 39-year-old man was arrested in what police said Tuesday were a series of hate crimes that targeted a Jewish synagogue, community center and a private home.

The crimes were committed over a two-day period last month, according to a police news release.

The man has not yet been formally charged, pending a review of the case by the District Attorney’s Office and is not in custody, according to Alameda County Jail records.

Police said that on April 29 from 4 to 6 a.m., a suspect vandalized a private residence on the 2500 block of Warring Street with graffiti referencing those of Jewish

faith and also destroyed a Jewish religious artifact.

On the same day, from 6 to 7 p.m., the same suspect was seen vandalizing a Jewish synagogue on the 1300 block of Oxford Street with antisemitic writing, destroying religious artifacts and also leaving a handmade reverse swastika, police said.

Several hours later, on April 30 from 2:33 to 4:35 a.m., the same suspect was caught on surveillance video burglarizing a Jewish community center on the 2700 block of Bancroft Way, police said.

During that burglary, the suspect wrote several bizarre messages in English and Hebrew that referenced Judaism, rearranged some items into shrines and also took some items, police said.

After reviewing surveillance recordings of the incidents, officers were able to develop a suspect in the case. After additional investigation, officers identified the suspect and searched for him.

On May 3, officers spotted the suspect in Civic Center Park and arrested him on suspicion of burglary, vandalism and defacing/destroying property for the purpose of intimidating/interfering with the free exercise of any right/privilege secured to the person by the Constitution, which is considered a hate crime.

Police said a hate crime is a crime against a person, group or property motivated by the victim’s real or perceived protected social group.