(JTA) — A teenage boy was indicted for a string of anti-Semitic and racist acts of vandalism in Ottawa.
Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau on Saturday confirmed the teen’s arrest to reporters at a local synagogue that had been defaced during a solidarity event and prayer service.
Also Saturday, the teen appeared in court and was indicted on several charges including uttering threats and mischief to religious buildings, according to reports.
The teen was caught after a Jewish community center in west Ottawa was vandalized Friday night, the sixth incident of racist graffiti in the city in less than a week.
Two synagogues and a rabbi’s home that was also used as a prayer center were spray painted with swastikas and anti-Semitic messages in the last week, and a mosque and a church with a black pastor also were spray painted with racist graffiti.
Surveillance video from some of the buildings helped to identify the teen.
“It is absolutely never acceptable to have that kind of hate expressed in communities,” Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said during the solidarity event.”By doing these things, by defacing people’s property and religious sacred sites really to instill fear in communities, it’s reprehensible.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
