A case against a man accused of threatening to “shoot up” a Jewish Community Center in the Los Angeles area will move forward in court, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.
Paul Dean Andrews, 43, is being prosecuted under hate crime charges for allegedly calling the Jewish Community Center in Redondo Beach, Calif., four times—once on Aug. 11 and three times on Aug. 13—and saying that “we do not want Jews in the South Bay.” He also directed an expletive at Jews, according to the district attorney.
During his last call, Andrews is accused of saying, “Get out of the neighborhood. I know where you guys are. I know you are on Vail Avenue. I know there are a whole bunch of kids there. I am going to come up and shoot up the place.”
The arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 16. He is being charged with a hate crime, making criminal threats to a school and attempted criminal threats and faces up to nine years and four months in prison. Andrews is pleading not guilty to the charges.
Andrews was placed in a diversion program in February 2024 and required to complete an anti-bias program at the Museum of Tolerance after being charged with negligence in discharging a firearm.
Instead of completing the program, he called the museum and said, “You’ll never be real Americans. All Jews need to hang from trees,” according to the district attorney’s office. It said that he also called a local synagogue and used antisemitic slurs on the call.
“This defendant was given an opportunity to confront his bias and change his behavior after his previous felony case, but instead he chose not to and allegedly threatened to shoot up a Jewish community center,” stated Nathan Hochman, the county district attorney.
Andrews was sentenced to 16 months in prison in December 2024 and was later released on parole.
“Hate crimes have no place in our community,” Hochman stated. “My office will not tolerate threats motivated by hatred, and individuals who choose to engage in hate-driven crimes will be held fully accountable.”
