Background
A New Jersey man, Jacob Beacher, was charged on Monday with a federal hate crime after a Palestinian flag was stolen and significant damage was done to religious artifacts at an Islamic student center at Rutgers University during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday.
Incident Details
The incident involved breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at the main Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, N.J., vandalizing Turbah prayer stones, and stealing a charity box and the Palestinian flag.
Legal Actions and Statements
Mr. Beacher, 24, was charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities. He was ordered detained after an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa of Federal District Court in Newark.
A federal public defender representing Mr. Beacher did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rutgers University condemned the act of violence and expressed that such acts of hatred and bigotry have no place at the university. The Islamic center leaders expressed relief and safety knowing that the suspect is in custody.
According to an F.B.I. agent’s affidavit attached to the complaint, security camera footage shows Mr. Beacher approaching the center’s back door around 2:40 a.m. on April 10, the first day of Eid-al-Fitr.
Mr. Beacher acknowledged being the person captured by security cameras near the Islamic center but denied breaking into the building when he spoke with investigators voluntarily two days after the incident.
