Police arrested a Jackson Heights man charging him with a hate crime for allegedly spray painting swastikas on a library, synagogue and church in the Jackson Heights section of Queens earlier this month.
Franco Rodriguez, 40, of 35-38 86th Street, was arraigned last Saturday on a criminal complaint charging him with three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime and three counts of making graffiti.
According to charges, Rodriguez used black spray paint to draw three swastikas on a window and two glass doors of the Jackson Heights branch of the Queens Public Library at approximately 5:30 a.m. on November 3.
In a second incident that morning, it’s alleged that Rodriguez drew a swastika with black spray paint on the front door of Congregation Tifereth Israel of Jackson Heights, a synagogue at 31-36 88th Street, sometime before 8:00 a.m. In addition, the lens of the synagogue’s surveillance camera was also spray painted.
Finally, Rodriguez is alleged to have painted a swastika in black spray paint on the front of the side door of St. Joan of Arc Church, located at 82-00 35th Avenue, sometime before 12:00 p.m. the following day.
DA Brown commented on the significance of the arrest being made on Veteran’s Day, “It is fitting that the defendant was arrested on Veterans Day, a day on which we remember and honor…World War ll veterans who bravely fought to rid the world of Nazi ideology – symbolized by the swastika, an ideogram of hate and evil.”
Police sources say Rodriguez allegedly told authorities at the time of his arrest, that he spray painted the swastikas on the three buildings and that he did so because Jewish people were harassing him.
The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force.
Rodriguez, who faces up to four years in prison if convicted, was ordered held on $5,000 bail and is set to return to court on Dec 1.
