New Brunswick, NJ – Announcing the arrest of four juveniles in a devastating attack on a Jewish cemetery, investigators said the evidence points to an act of vandalism rather than a bias crime.
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"The facts as presently known do not indicate that the damage caused was an attempt to intimidate, target, or harm the Jewish community," said Middlesex County prosecutor Bruce Kaplan and New Brunswick Police director Anthony Caputo in a prepared release.
"The facts as presently known do not indicate that these juveniles were part of or otherwise acted under the direction of an organized gang or hate group."
Four New Brunswick juveniles, ages 15-17, were arrested in connection with the desecration of Poile Zedek Cemetery, where 499 gravestones were toppled or smashed in two separate incidents between Jan. 1 and Jan. 4.
The arrests of the four males came following an extensive investigation by the New Brunswick Police Department with assistance from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the bias crimes unit of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.
A decision on what they will be specifically charged with will not be made until the investigation is concluded, according to authorities. [njjewishnews]
Anon, what makes you think that this was a bias crime? If the police, having caught and interviewed the vandals, say they weren’t motivated by bias, why should I suspect that they’re not telling the truth?
Yeah, go move to Turkey where you don’t have to be afraid of Christian fundamentalists.
Or try Iran, or Saudi Arabia. The Muhammadans will take nice care of you.
FOOL!
Its most disturbing that while vandalism of shuls and cemeteries is happening across the country, courts and law enforcement do not consider hate crimes against Jews to be “bias” crimes.
Its almost as though the courts and the Federal gov’t have ruled that acts of terror and vandalism against Jews do not constitute “hate”. Are they therefore justified?
Its a dangerous precedent and should be heeded by all American Jews as a sign of the increasing Xtian fundamentalism in this country.
And no this is not a scare to go to Israel. In the past Jews have taken refuge from Xtian Crusaders in Muslim countries, so maybe Morocco or Turkey might be more historically appropriate.