A New Jersey man faces federal charges after a Palestinian flag was stolen and $40,000 worth of damage was done to religious artifacts from Rutgers University's Islamic Student Center during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, officials said. He was charged Monday with a hate crime.
The man, Jacob Beecher, is accused of breaking into the Center for Islamic Life on Rutgers' main campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, this month, destroying a prayer stone in the taba and stealing a charity box and flag.
The Rutgers incident and the arrest of Beecher, 24, come as tensions over the Israel-Hamas war continue to worsen on college campuses across the country, with Muslim and Jewish students alike They say they feel they are being attacked.
Mr. Beecher, of North Plainfield, was charged with one criminal count of intentional or attempted violation of religious practice and one criminal count of making false statements to federal authorities. He was ordered held in custody after an initial appearance before U.S. Judge Andre M. Espinosa in U.S. District Court in Newark.
The federal public defender representing Beecher did not respond to a request for comment.
In an emailed statement, Rutgers University spokeswoman Megan Schumann said the university “condemns this act of violence against the Rutgers University and New Brunswick Muslim communities and the desecration of religious and community spaces.” said. She said there was no record of Mr. Beecher ever attending college.
“Such acts of hatred and bigotry against anyone in our community will not be tolerated at Rutgers University,” Ms. Schuman added.
Leaders of the Islamic Center said in a statement they were “relieved to learn that the suspect is in custody.”
“This incident did not occur in a vacuum,” the center said in a statement, “but it is emblematic of a larger issue: the dehumanization of Palestinian lives and voices abroad and locally.” he added.
According to an FBI agent's affidavit attached to the complaint, security camera footage shows Beecher approaching the center's back door around 2:40 a.m. on April 10, the first day of Eid al-Fitr. There is. This holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.
After breaking the glass on the door, Beecher reached inside and removed the deadbolt lock, according to the affidavit. Once inside, they destroyed prayer stones and other items inscribed with holy words from the Koran, and stole flags and charity boxes.
The man left the center about 20 minutes later and rode his bicycle to a nearby park, where a charity box was later found, the affidavit said, citing surveillance footage.
According to the affidavit, Beecher voluntarily interviewed with law enforcement authorities two days after the break-in and admitted he was the person seen on surveillance video near the Islamic Center, but denied breaking into the building. That's what it means.