By JOSEPH KELLARD
Oceanside man indicted for bias graffiti at
synagogues
A 20-year-old Oceanside man was arrested Jan. 3 and charged with spray-painting swastikas on two local synagogues a week before the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur in September, police said.
The suspect, James Weeks, was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief following a police investigation of the anti-Semitic graffiti, which was scrawled on the property of the Oceanside Jewish Center, at 2860 Brower Ave., and Temple Avodah, at 3050 Oceanside Rd., on Sept. 4.
Weeks is the second suspect charged in this case. On Sept. 14, Jesse Christensen of Oceanside was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree aggravated harassment and four counts of third-degree criminal mischief. Weeks was indicted after the case was presented to a grand jury, and an arrest warrant was issued.
Fourth Precinct Detective Sgt. Ronald Nesbitt said that there was various testimony and evidence brought to the grand jury to indict Weeks, but he had no knowledge of its exact contents. "I believe that the evidence against the subject probably came from a myriad of sources, and the testimony probably was comprised of evidence that was used to arrest Christensen," Nesbitt said.
Graffiti scrawled on a vinyl fence at the Oceanside Jewish Center was discovered by a passerby. While police officers were investigating that incident, they found a second swastika painted on the entrance sign at Temple Avodah, not far from the OJC.
The black swastika painted on the Jewish center's fence was more than two feet tall and caused about $400 in damage to the fence, officials said. The swastika at the temple, also spray-painted black, caused about $200 in damage to its sign, police said.
With the two arrests, police believe they have all the suspects responsible for the incidents, Nesbitt said. "I think this case is effectively closed," he added.
Nesbitt said that the subjects were caught as a result of the hard work of Detective Chris Muchow. "He was dogged in his pursuit in these fairly high-profile cases," Nesbitt said.
When he learned of the arrest last week, Rabbi Uri Goren, spiritual leader of Temple Avodah, said, "It's important to acknowledge that the police followed through and didn't just say, 'Oh, big deal, it was just a little swastika.' They take these kinds of things seriously because they are, and they can escalate to more unpleasant things."
In September, after the graffiti was discovered, Goren said it was a surefire sign that society has not gotten beyond the hatred and bigotry that existed during World War II. "What I know for sure is that the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Oceanside are not afraid, just sad," Goren said. "We are very sad that there are people that do not understand how important it is for all of us to not only respect each other but to live together in peace."
Rabbi Mark Greenspan, spiritual leader at the OJC, said, "It was not just an act of vandalism, and it's not just against Jews. It's against anyone who believes in tolerance and the core values of our country."
Jeff Lipton contributed to this story. Comments about it? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
