A man was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal damage on Thursday for his alleged involvement in the anti-Semitic vandalism of a synagogue in Tucson, Ariz., earlier in June.
The Tucson Police Department said their Street Crimes Interdiction Unit identified Nathan Beaver, 30, as the suspect behind the June 7 incident at Chabad on River, where a swastika and anti-Semitic slur were found spray-painted on the door of the synagogue. Beaver was charged and booked into the Pima County jail.
The charge against Beaver can result in a class 5 or class 6 felony conviction, depending on the damage’s monetary value, or a class 1 misdemeanor conviction, according to TusconSentinel.com. He faces a potential sentence between six months and two-and-a-half years, but Arizona law states that the penalties can be increased if the targeted property is a house of worship.
“We have continually expressed we have no tolerance for crimes based on hate or targeted towards places of worship. This arrest confirms that commitment,” Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said, “I know this incident was deeply troubling to our entire community. I appreciate the dedicated work of our police department’s officers and detectives to identify and apprehend the suspect.”
