LAPD Arrest Suspect in Vandalism of Synagogue and Kosher Restaurant

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) West Los Angeles Patrol Division announced in a June 3 press release obtained by the Journal that a suspect has been arrested over a spate of recent vandalisms, which included the targeting of a synagogue and kosher restaurant in the Pico-Robertson area.

According to the press release, the suspect, Jon Knight Prince, 26, was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism. Prince was allegedly involved in 13 separate incidents of vandalism between May 26 and June 2 on Westwood and Pico Boulevard that featured rocks, bricks and other hard objects being thrown at windows during each of these vandalisms. Prince also has past convictions on his record and an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor, per the press release. He’s currently being held on $325,000 bail.

Jewish groups lauded the LAPD for the arrest.

“We thank LAPD for the arrest of a suspect in connection with a series of vandalism incidents, including antisemitic acts directed at the Young Israel of Century City synagogue and Pat’s Restaurant,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Los Angeles Regional Director Jeffrey Abrams said in a statement to the Journal. “These incidents are part of a surge of antisemitic attacks recorded across the country.” Abrams added that the “ADL continues to monitor” for antisemitic incidents and encourages “community members to report any suspicious activity targeting the Jewish community to both law enforcement and ADL.”

Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper told the Journal that Prince’s arrest shows that the LAPD has been taking the recent attacks on Jews and Jewish property “beyond seriously,” pointing to the fact that last weekend, the LAPD had a unit stationed on Pico Boulevard across from Pat’s. “That I hope will send a signal to anyone else having whatever ideology is motivating that person, know one thing: if you’re involved in what could be a hate crime, they’re going to come after you and they’re going to find you. And give the LAPD full credit for catching this person.”

American Jewish Committee Los Angeles Regional Director Richard S. Hirschhaut also said in a statement to the Journal, “We are relieved to learn that the perpetrator of this string of antisemitic vandalisms is now off the streets. We applaud LAPD for its diligence in bringing their full investigative power to identifying and apprehending this career criminal.

“Now that LAPD has done its job, we call upon District Attorney George Gascon to bring appropriate hate crime charges, both to underscore the severity of targeting Jewish institutions and reinforce to the larger community that such acts will not be tolerated in our city.”