Authorities in Boston arrested a 17-year-old male Monday night for allegedly throwing a rock at the city’s Holocaust memorial, shattering the glass panel.
Civilians chased after the suspect and tackled him, according to The Boston Globe. Police say they arrived to find two bystanders detaining the teenager, who also corroborated other witness accounts of the alleged crime.
“I’m grateful for the quick response and the community help which led to the swift arrest of the suspect responsible for the damage done to the Holocaust Memorial,” Boston Police Department (BPD) Commissioner William Evans said in a statement. “Clearly, this type of behavior will not be tolerated in our city. And, in light of the recent events and unrest in Charlottesville, it’s sad to see a young person choose to engage in such senseless and shameful behavior.”
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh also expressed his regret over the situation. (RELATED: Pence Speaks At Vandalized Jewish Cemetery [VIDEO])
Today & every day Boston stands up against hate. I’m saddened to see such a despicable action in this great city. (1/2)
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) August 15, 2017
Thankful to public and @bostonpolice for quick arrest of the person responsible for vandalizing Holocaust Memorial. (2/2)
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) August 15, 2017
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, will be charged with the willful and malicious destruction of property. The BPD’s Civil Rights Unit is investigating the incident to decipher whether additional charges are necessary.
The glass panels make up six separate towers, all roughly 54 feet tall. The glass exterior of the memorial is engraved with numbers symbolizing the victims of the Holocaust who were tattooed by Nazis with digits for labeling purposes.
The official website for the monument reads: “The number six has many meanings here: the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust; the names of the six main death camps; a row of memorial candles; and the six years, 1939-1945, during which the infamous ‘Final Solution,’ the most deadly phase of the Holocaust, took place.”
The most recent act of apparent vandalism is the second in less than three months for the Boston Holocaust Memorial. It also comes only days after white nationalists and anti-Semites marched through Charlottesville, Va., which evolved the next day into violent clashes, including the killing of a 32-year-old woman.
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