The Portland Police Bureau, in Oregon, released images of a suspect and asked the public to help identify the person “involved in a bias crime targeting a northeast Portland business with Jewish cultural practices.”
An employee told police that the vandal targeted the business on June 14 at about 1:30 a.m. The “unidentified male approached the entrance of the business, muttered profanities and drew a swastika on the door frame before walking away,” police stated.
“The employee at the business believes this was a deliberate, targeted act as the business is known to integrate Jewish beliefs and traditions into its practices,” the police said.
It added that in November, “a menorah displayed in the business’s front window was stolen, and a pride flag has been displayed outside the business, further raising concerns about the suspect’s intent.”
Local media reported that the business is Pulse Wellness Cooperative, which is located on the block identified by the police department. The police did not say which business was targeted.
Rosanne Marmor, the founding therapist at the cooperative, told the Portland CBS affiliate KOIN that “a swastika is cruel,” and “it embeds hate in our community and does the opposite, which is what I spend my life trying to do.”
Marmor told the station that “people have thrown rocks through the window, robbed the facility and stole the mezuzah, a sacred Jewish scroll that marked the entrance.”
