FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The Broward Sheriff’s Office has made a big break in a case involving antisemitic messages that were sprawled across a Weston neighborhood back in October.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony held a press conference to announce that multiple suspects had been arrested in connection to this crime, Wednesday afternoon.
7News was told that three 16-year-old boys from Weston were arrested.
Two of the juveniles are being charged with three counts of criminal mischief, two counts of burglary and one count of public order crime prejudice, which is a hate crime enhancement.
The other juvenile is facing two counts of criminal mischief and burglary.
“They have been charged appropriately with felony charges here, two include the escalation of the hate crime component for two out of the three of them,” said Tony.
Swastikas along with racial slurs were spray-painted throughout the Weston neighborhood, including on playgrounds, trees and signs.
The incident occurred twice. The first happened during Yom Kippur, a major Jewish holiday.
Tony said that this incident created a profound alarm in the community and considered it to be very serious.
“Because my understanding, talking to our detectives and our officers who investigated the individuals and interviewed them, now there is a sentiment of remorse and regret,” said Tony, “and now they are talking about this is supposed to be a joke. This is not a laughing matter. Maybe we need to do a better job of educating our youth about the severe impacts of the Holocaust and slavery and racism and how that has divided this community for hundreds of years and maybe it will change their receptiveness to seeing this isn’t a joke. This does have a damaging effect.”
During the time these messages were being spread, local officials and religious leaders and law enforcement came together to condemn the hateful acts.
“If you’re that brave to do that during the cloak of darkness, come in the daylight and show yourself,” said Weston Mayor Margaret Brown.
According to the arrest report, all three juveniles have confessed to these crimes.
One of the boys said that after the first incident was on the news, he and his co-defendants began to terrorize that same neighborhood because they found the situation humorous, according to the arrest report.
“It’s definitely not funny, but I bet it’s a teachable moment for my kids,” said Pedro Navas, a Weston resident, “and I think they destroyed their life.”
“I can care less if you’re 14, 15, 16, 38 or 75, we’re going to charge you accordingly,” said Tony.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.