A San Lorenzo man who police say acknowledged shouting antisemitic remarks and amplifying sound “from a Nazi rally” on a public street was arrested last week by Alameda County deputies in connection with antisemitic graffiti in the city near the intersection of Bockman Road and Hesperian Boulevard.
The suspect is also alleged to have vandalized a solar panel.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Isaac Garcia, 26, on Jan. 14 when they responded to a report about a vandalized solar panel. He was charged with two counts of felony vandalism, according to court records, related to the solar panel and the antisemitic graffiti.
A photo shared with J. by a witness shows a cable cut between the solar panel and a security camera.
Garcia was initially taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin ahead of an arraignment hearing on Jan. 20 in Alameda County Superior Court. As of Thursday he was no longer in custody, according to the county’s inmate locator database.
Investigators said they found evidence on Garcia’s cell phone connected to graffiti in the area that read “F*** JEWS” in spray paint and black marker, according to Roberto Morales, public information officer at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
During his arrest, deputies said, they confirmed Garcia matched the report of a “suspicious person” spotted in the area on Jan. 9 who was “yelling antisemitic remarks,” including “f*** Jews” and “heil Hitler,” according to a Jan. 15 statement from the sheriff’s office.
On the morning of Jan. 9, one witness spotted a man walking around with a boombox, playing at a loud volume that “sounded like a Nazi rally.” The witness, who works in the area, spoke to J. on the condition of anonymity out of safety concerns.
“I saw a guy walking, then I heard the voice on the radio say ‘sieg heil!’ and the guy lifted his arm,” gesturing the Nazi salute, the witness said. “I was in shock, like I only see that on YouTube, and now it’s in front of me.”
Garcia acknowledged during questioning by deputies that he had made such remarks and gestures and said “he was practicing his First Amendment right,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
On the day of Garcia’s arrest, Bohannon Middle School, located near the intersection of Bockman Road and Hesperian Boulevard, was placed under “secure campus” status at the direction of the sheriff’s office, according to a message to families from the school’s principal. As a precaution, students and staff were instructed to remain inside school buildings while instruction continued as usual, and all gates were secured.
“A secure campus is implemented as a precaution when an incident occurs in the surrounding neighborhood,” Principal Alexis Merron wrote on Jan. 14 in the message. “Once we received confirmation that it was safe to do so, we promptly resumed normal campus operations.”
Anyone with information related to the incidents is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s non-emergency line at (510) 667-7721.
Court records show Garcia was charged with additional felonies, including one for violent conduct. He was also charged with illegal possession of body armor, a misdemeanor.