A New York City man was indicted for defacing three Manhattan synagogues and a Jewish volunteer ambulance in August, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Lenny De La Rosa, 21, faced four counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime at his Tuesday arraignment, District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.
"Synagogues are sacred places where everyone should be able to practice their faith safely. We will not allow our houses of worship to be violated by hateful acts and we do not tolerate bias and antisemitism," Bragg said in a statement.
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The incidents allegedly started on Aug. 12 when De La Rosa, of Harlem, wrote "JESUS SAINTZZZ” on a synagogue at East 85th Street and Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side. Then on Aug. 14, he allegedly wrote "DEAD RIIP" on a glass display in front of a synagogue a few blocks away, at East 79th Street and 2nd Avenue.
Just 30 minutes later, he allegedly wrote “Dead B-P” on the side of a Hatzalah ambulance at East 85th Street and Lexington Avenue. He wrote the same message again on the front of a third synagogue at East 82nd Street and Lexington Avenue about five minutes later, police said.
The DA's office said an NYPD officer arrested De La Rosa two days after the latest incidents after recognizing him from a wanted flyer.
Attorney information for De La Rosa was not immediately clear.
