American Jewish University in Bel Air, California. (Photo/Wikimedia-Cbl62 CC BY-SA 3.0) News California Suspect in anti-Semitic vandalism of LA-area schools arrested Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Marcy Oster, JTA | December 23, 2019 Los Angeles police arrested a man suspected of spray-painting three schools and several vehicles in vandalism attacks described by police as a hate crime. Israel Herrera Perez, 44, was arrested on Dec. 19 on suspicion of vandalizing the schools and cars in the neighborhoods of Beverlywood, Calabasas, Pico-Robertson, Brentwood, Bel-Air and Westwood, the Los Angeles Police Department announced Friday. He was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism and held on $120,000 bail, according to reports. A swastika and hateful messages including the phrase “time to pay” were found spray-painted at the American Jewish University in Bel Air and Milken Community High School on Dec. 17, as well as the non-Jewish Westwood Charter School. In Calabasas, the tires of several cars were slashed and messages painted on them in red spray-paint included the number “666,” a reference to the devil. The acts of vandalism were committed between Dec. 14 and Dec. 16. On Dec. 14, the sanctuary of the Nessah Synagogue, a Persian Jewish congregation in Beverly Hills, was vandalized, including torn prayer books and Torah scrolls strewn on the floor. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania man was arrested Wednesday in Hawaii, the Los Angeles CBS affiliate reported. Marcy Oster Israel-based JTA correspondent JTA Content distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news service. Also On J. California 3 Jewish schools in LA spray-painted with anti-Semitic graffiti U.S. Suspect arrested for DC swastika Bay Area Former student arrested in anti-Semitic graffiti attack at Burlingame High School Homeless 19-year-old charged with hate crime for Stanford swastikas Subscribe to our Newsletter Enter Email Sign Up