Police arrested a Gaithersburg teen Tuesday in relation to an anti-Semitic graffiti case at the Shaare Torah Synagogue in the city.
Police believe the 18-year-old teen—identified as Sebastian Espinoza-Carranza—was involved in painting 11 swastikas and one “KKK” on the red brick exterior of the synagogue on Main Street earlier this month. The vandalism was reported to police on April 7.
Espinoza-Carranza, of the 16700 block of Sioux Lane, has been charged with defacing religious property and malicious destruction of property. He was released on bond earlier today, according to online court records.
Surveillance video from the synagogue on the night of the vandalism captured two suspects vandalizing the building between 2:40 a.m. and 3 a.m. on April 7. Police later obtained additional video of a group of teens from a nearby 7-Eleven that appeared to show one of the suspects from the synagogue's surveillance footage. Using that footage they were able to identify and interview Espinsoa-Carranza on April 14. During the interview, police say he confessed to the vandalism.
"These kinds of cases are often difficult to solve," Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger said, in a statement. "I appreciate the tireless detective work by those who investigated this atrocious act. The response to this incident has been loud and clear, and has been heard from nearly every segment of our diverse community. We don't tolerate hate, and we will not be intimidated by ignorance."
Police also said juvenile suspects have been identified in the case and anticipate additional charges to be filed.
