Suspect arrested for Beaver Borough antisemitic vandalism
“It was done in anger and haste, and he [the suspect] has already apologized for it,” Brokos said.
The Beaver Borough Police Department announced that a man was arrested for painting red swastikas on the side of a residential building near the area of Fifth Street and Sharon Road.
According to a March 30 Facebook post created by the police department, the man arrested was a “disgruntled contractor who specifically tagged the property due to a business dispute” and was not part of a larger threat to the community.
The swastikas painted on the building were reported on March 28. They were derided by many community members and quickly painted over. The police and the Beaver County commissioners each offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. Beaver County Crime Stoppers offered an additional $500 reward.
Shawn Brokos, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh community security director, said it is unknown why the suspect chose to paint swastikas on the building but said the community is not at risk.
“It was done in anger and haste, and he [the suspect] has already apologized for it,” Brokos said. “I don’t think that this is directed at the larger Jewish population and there is no reason for concern.”
Brokos said the Beaver Borough Police Department deserved to be recognized for “what was an exceptional response.”
“They were outraged and determined to find out who did this,” she said. “They were very clear that this is not representative of Beaver.”
Anyone who notices suspicious activity is urged to report it to the Federation at jewishpgh.org/form/incident-report. PJC
—David Rullo
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