(JTA) — A man in upstate New York has been charged with spray-painting swastikas and hate messages on his own home.
Jewish leaders in Schenectady also say that Andrew King, who was interviewed last month by the local media in front of his defaced home wearing a kippah, is not Jewish. He tried to convert several times but was rejected by at least two congregations, according to the local ABC affiliate, News10.
King, 54, was arraigned Tuesday in Schenectady City Court and released on $500 bail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He was arrested a day earlier following a five-week investigation of the Feb. 10 vandalism and charged with falsely reporting an incident, which is a misdemeanor, the Times Union of Albany reported.
“This has brought a sense of shame to the community,” Rabbi Matt Cutler of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady told BuzzFeed. “We knew there was something peculiar about the vandalism.”
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