2024-03-29 00:33:16
Nicholas Malindretos arrested on suspicion of throwing Molotov cocktail at local synagogue - Democratic Voice USA
Nicholas Malindretos arrested on suspicion of throwing Molotov cocktail at local synagogue

An arrest has been made in the attempted firebombing Sunday of a New Jersey synagogue with a Molotov cocktail.

Clifton, New Jersey, resident Nicholas Malindretos was arrested on suspicion of the attack Wednesday.

“No one should find that their lives are at risk by exercising their faith. The defendant is alleged to have gone to a synagogue in the middle of the night and maliciously attempted to damage and destroy it using a firebomb,” Philip Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said in an announcement from his office.

At around 3:19 a.m. on Sunday, video surveillance at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield recorded a man wearing a black ski mask, dark gray or black hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with a skull and crossbones, black pants, dark shoes, and white gloves.

The man, who authorities say is Mr. Malindretos, walked up to the front entrance of the building, lit a wick atop the glass bottle, and threw the ignited Molotov cocktail at the building.

The glass shattered, but the fire did not take, and the suspect fled on foot.

SEE ALSO: Police search for man who threw Molotov cocktail at N.J. synagogue

Shatterproof barriers installed thanks to grants from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness helped save the synagogue.

“We were able to avert the worst because the device the person was throwing didn’t make it through the front glass doors,” Rabbi Marc Katz told local news site NorthJersey.com.

A license plate reader near the synagogue picked up a single vehicle going by before the incident, at around 3:04 a.m., and afterward, at around 3:29 a.m. The plate of the car, a black Volkswagen sedan, read “Y24KCS” according to court documents.

When authorities found the vehicle Tuesday, they observed several items in the front seat through the car’s windows, including bottles of unidentified liquids, a dark hooded sweatshirt, and cloth items made of a material similar in appearance to that of the gloves captured on surveillance.

Another video camera near where the vehicle was parked show a man matching Mr. Malindretos’ profile exiting the vehicle and entering a nearby building. The building’s owner confirmed to authorities that Mr. Malindretos was allowed to live in its basement.

When the warrant was executed Wednesday, authorities say they uncovered a black sweatshirt, white gloves, and ski mask matching those seen in the original video footage.

“We allege Mr. Malindretos threw a Molotov cocktail at the doors of the synagogue. The speed and intensity of this investigation demonstrates our determination and dedication to protecting houses of worship and protecting their congregations,” FBI Newark Field Office Special Agent in Charge James Dennehy said in the USAO-NJ announcement.

If convicted on the charge of attempted use of fire to damage and destroy a building used in interstate commerce, Mr. Malindretos will face a prison sentence of no less than five and no more than 20 years, and will have to pay a $250,000 fine.

Authorities have not filed hate crime charges against Mr. Malindretos.

For now, the congregation at Temple Ner Tamid are relieved that a suspect is in custody.

“My inclination was that as long as the perpetrator was out there, it meant that he could potentially come back. And so there is a sense that at least this particular threat has been neutralized,” Mr. Katz told the Montclair Local.

Source link: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/2/nicholas-malindretos-arrested-suspicion-throwing-m/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

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