Jacob Beacher vandalized property at the Center for Islamic Living at Rutgers University during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
A man in the United States has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime after breaking into an Islamic student center at a university in the state of New Jersey.
Jacob Beacher, 24, broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in April and damaged property there, including several religious artifacts, the Justice Department said Thursday. USA.
Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box from the center, the Justice Department said.
Video surveillance footage showed Beacher approaching the center shortly after 2:30 a.m. on April 10, before an intruder later determined to be Beacher forced entry into the center through the back door, according to court documents.
Beacher was arrested on April 22 and charged with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities.
“Islamophobic hate crimes have no place in our society today. We will continue to enforce laws that make it safe for people of all faiths to participate in religious practices, including in educational institutions,” Deputy District Attorney Kristen Clarke said in a statement.
Beacher faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Human rights groups in the United States and elsewhere have reported a sharp increase in threats and violence against Muslims, Arabs and Jews since the start of the war in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
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