Man Charged With Hate Crime After Anti-Semitic Graffiti: Nassau DA

EAST MEADOW, NY — The 23-year-old man accused of spray painting anti-Semitic graffiti across fencing in East Meadow is being charged with a hate crime, the Nassau District Attorney's office announced.

Sebastian Patino Caceres, of Hicksville, was formally elevated to a hate crime on Tuesday for displaying pro-Palestine and anti-Israel remarks, court documents revealed.

"I was somewhat shocked that it happened here, but I wasn't totally surprised," Rabbi Aaron Marsh of the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, told Patch.

Graffiti lined PVC fencing of at least four homes on Merrick Avenue, including an Israeli woman, who is displaying posters of hostages being held by Hamas, the rabbi said.

He also said the sidewalk in front of his synagogue was defaced with similar graffiti.

"People could have argued, 'Well, this was just an Israeli and they're against that,'" Rabbi Marsh said. "But when it's put in front of a synagogue that's what I thought, just generally anti-Semitic."

With the rise of anti-Semitic incidents since the Oct. 7 war in Israel is "very concerning for a lot of people," Rabbi Marsh said. "I wouldn't say people are scared for their lives, but they're concerned about what is the place of Jews in this country going to be."

Marsh said he would like to learn about Caceres' motivations and intentions.

"I don't know where it's coming from, but it seems like a lot of people are jumping on a bandwagon without totally understanding what it's all about," the rabbi said.