Saul Amantecatl Sanchez, of Brooklyn, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly drawing a Nazi swastika on the Marion and Aaron Gural Jewish Community Center in Lawrence, N.Y., in the heart of the Five Towns Orthodox Jewish community.
The 26-year-old was charged with first-degree aggravated harassment and making graffiti, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers were called to the JCC on Nov. 6 and “informed that a swastika was found drawn on a door on the property,” according to a police report.
“A swastika is not a harmless drawing,” Ari Brown, a Republican member of the New York State Assembly, told JNS. “It represents hatred, persecution, and the murder of six million Jews. There is absolutely no place for it in our community.”
“I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or incidents of antisemitism to law enforcement,” he said. “We cannot and will not allow antisemitism to become an accepted part of everyday life.”
In a statement provided to 5 Towns Central, the JCC said its security team reviewed surveillance footage from multiple camera angles and worked with police to identify the individual. Sanchez was on the premises making a delivery and allegedly used his finger to draw the swastika on a door in the JCC’s parking lot, the statement said.
“Based on the information currently available, the incident does not appear to have been premeditated,” the JCC said. It added that the individual’s employer was cooperating fully with law enforcement.
The JCC said the safety and security of its students, staff and visitors remained its highest priority and that it takes incidents of antisemitism seriously “regardless of the circumstances or intent.”
Sanchez was arrested “after a thorough investigation,” according to the police report. He was released on an appearance ticket and ordered to appear in the First District Court.
