Nassau Man Sentenced After Antisemitic Graffiti Fails To Complete Conditions: DA

EAST MEADOW, NY — An East Meadow man who pleaded guilty to spray-painting antisemitic phrases was unable to complete the conditions of his previous plea, and was sentenced to a felony conviction and four years' probation on Friday, Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said.

Sebastian Patino Caceres, 23, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief on Jan. 16, 2025, to charges related to spray-painting antisemitic phrases on fences in East Meadow and in front of an East Meadow Jewish center in Apr. 2024, according to DA Donnelly.

He was unable to complete conditions, which included six months of bias prevention training, 100 hours of community service, and a guided tour of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove, DA Donnelly said.

"My office will never accept antisemitism in Nassau County, and while we will always extend opportunities for defendants to learn and grow from their hateful and misguided acts, when a defendant refuses the chance to become a more tolerant member of society, they will meet the appropriate legal consequences," Donnelly said.

If he had completed those conditions, then he would have been sentenced to an A misdemeanor with three years' probation, rather than an E felony, Donnelly said.

“This defendant attended HMTC’s guided tour, but the dedicated staff trying to connect with Patino Caceres found him closed-minded and lacking remorse or regret for his actions. He gave endless excuses before completing his community service and attended only one of his mandatory bias prevention sessions. His paltry attempts at atonement were clear to the judge, who made the right decision and sentenced him on felony charges and upgraded his probation.”

Patino Caceres was arrested on Apr. 16, 2024, by Nassau County police, Donnelly said.

According to Donnelly, the antisemitic phrases were spray-painted on PVC fencing that sits on the back yards of private homes along Merrick Avenue. One phrase was spray-painted on plastic sheeting that was attached to the PVC fencing that protected a mural of Israeli citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas in Oct. 2023, she said.

Some of the antisemitic phrases that Patino Caceres spray-painted were "Zionism is Nazism," "Free Palestine," "F-ck Israel," and "Stop the Genocide," according to Donnelly.

The phrase "Free Palestine" was also spray-painted by him on the front sidewalk outside of the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, Donnelly said.