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Crime Feb 17, 2023
| Photo courtesy of Scott Rodgerson/Unsplash
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A man suspected of shooting two Jewish men after they left synagogues in the Pico-Robertson district less than 24 hours apart was in custody Friday.
“The facts of the case led to this crime being investigated as a hate crime,” according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.
Federal civil rights charges will be filed against the man, who “has a history of animus towards the Jewish community,” according to a statement from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
The suspect was tracked to an area in Riverside County and investigators began working collaboratively with federal and regional partners to locate him, police said. The suspect was arrested at 5:45 p.m. Thursday without incident, police said.
Detectives recovered several items of evidence including a rifle and a handgun, police said.
The suspect’s name was not released.
The LAPD announced before the arrest it was “re-allocating police resources to provide a highly visible and preventative presence in the area.”
“In an abundance of caution, there will continue to be an increased police presence and patrols around Jewish places of worship and surrounding neighborhoods through the weekend,” the department announced following the arrest.
The first shooting occurred around 9:55 a.m. Wednesday in the 1400 block of Shenandoah Street, near Pico Boulevard, between Robertson and La Cienega boulevards. A man in his 40s was shot in the back while walking to his vehicle, authorities told the Los Angeles Times.
The second occurred at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the 1600 block of South Bedford Street, two blocks south of Pico Boulevard and one block east of Shenandoah Street. The man was shot in an arm, The Times reported.
Both victims survived.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna wrote on his Twitter page that his department “will increase patrol checks around Jewish synagogues and Jewish centers in our jurisdictions. Patrol stations will remain vigilant and report any threats of violence to Major Crimes.”
Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that “antisemitism and hate crimes have no place in our city or our country”
“Those who engage in either will be caught and held fully accountable,” Bass said. “At a time of increased antisemitism, these acts have understandably set communities on edge.
“Just last December, I stood blocks away from where these incidents occurred as we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah together. Now, my pledge to the Pico-Robertson community and to the city of Los Angeles as a whole, is that we will fight this hatred vigorously and work every day to defeat it.”
Anyone with information on the shootings was urged to call the LAPD at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
