Man Charged With Hate Crimes For Vandalizing Two Synagogues, Two Jewish Schools In West Rogers Park
CHICAGO (CBS) — A Niles man is facing hate crime charges in connection with several acts of vandalism against synagogues and Jewish businesses in West Rogers Park over the weekend.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said 39-year-old Shahid Hussain has been charged with four counts of felony hate crime, two felony counts of criminal defacement, and two felony counts of criminal damage to property. The charges stem from four of seven acts of anti-Semitic vandalism over the weekend.
Brown said, around 4:40 p.m. Sunday, a yellow swastika was discovered spray-painted on the wall of a synagogue in the 2900 block of West Devon Avenue. Around the same time, a yellow swastika also was discovered at Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov High School in the 3000 block of West Devon Avenue.
Around 6:15 p.m., officers responding to a 911 call about a man shouting anti-Semitic slurs and threats in the 6300 block of North Sacramento Avenue located a man who matched the description of the person responsible for the two earlier acts of vandalism. Police detained him, and after further investigation, also linked him to an incident of property damage at a synagogue on the 2800 block of West North Shore Avenue and property damage at a Jewish school in the 3600 block of West Devon Avenue.
“These acts of hate gripped the West Rogers Park community, and shocked the city of Chicago,” Brown said.
Even Hussain’s physical appearance was concerning to prosecutors, who said he wore a mustache similar to Adolf Hitler, and a red cape with a yellow swastika on it, as his made his way through West Rogers Park over the weekend.
A one point, a victim said Hussain was screaming threats to “get the Jews and break all the windows of every synagogue” while making a saluting motion “similar to a Nazi salute.”
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2022/02/01/shahid-hussain-anti-semitic-vandalism-hate-crime-west-rogers-park-synagogues-jewish-synagogues-businesses/
