Authorities said three individuals are being charged in connection with anti-Semitic vandalism that occurred in University Heights, Ohio, in July.
University Heights Chief of Police Dustin Rogers announced in an Aug. 18 statement that the charges of ethnic intimidation, inducing panic, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and criminal damaging have been filed against Bo Briele Truitt, 23, Gabriel Truitt, 20, and an unidentified 16-year-old female. The teen has been charged in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Bo Truitt has been taken into custody and authorities currently are searching for Gabriel Truitt.
“The University Heights Police Department condemns Anti-Semitism and acts of ethnic intimidation; and we will remain diligent in our zero tolerance efforts to prevent, investigate, and apprehend those who commit such cowardly and hateful acts,” Rogers said.
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The graffiti, which consisted of swastikas, male genitalia and cuss words, was found on several buildings on July 26, including the Jewish Learning Connection (JLC) based in the Waxman Torah Center.
The Torah Center said in a statement to FOX 8 on July 27, “A Jewish learning center near Cleveland was grotesquely vandalized with a swastika and other revolting anti-Semitic tropes. At a time when hate crimes against the Jewish people are at an all-time high, it is especially alarming to have this happen in our own backyard.”
Rabbi Yossi Nisenbaum of the JLC told Cleveland Jewish News at the time that the swastika was on a nearby building facing the JLC.
“We’re assuming it was intended toward us because we’re the Jewish center there,” he said, adding that “we’re pretty concerned. It’s pretty scary. It’s not a common thing to find on a synagogue.”
