The Jewish community in the New York area continues to be confounded after a former NYPD officer was arrested on charges he spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti on cars and buildings in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
Michael Setiawan was picked up after police received a 911 call on Motzoei Shabbos about the swastikas and other anti-Semitic vandalism. He was arrested before dawn today.
The 36-year-old faces charges of criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment.
Police took the ex-cop into custody Sunday morning.
The spray-painted anti-Semitic words were found on 15 vehicles and four buildings near the Bobover Bnos Zion girls school.
Surveillance video from outside of the school showed a man spray painting anti-Semitic graffiti, one of 20 locations that were hit.
Assemblyman Dov Hikind echoed the sentiments of locals when he said that “people in the neighborhood here in Boro Park are upset.”
Some people downplayed it by describing it as acts of a demented individual, but Hikind said that “this was not a victimless crime. We have many Holocaust survivors here, many elderly people and children who are appropriately frightened by unprovoked hate attacks upon their schools and community. Hate attacks on our community will not go unpunished.”
A break in the case came when a young boy saw the suspect tagging a car and took down his license plate number as he drove away.
Setiawan was an officer in the New York City Police Department until 2007, serving in Brooklyn’s 69th precinct in the Canarsie neighborhood. He resigned him from this position.
Setiawan’s father, Thomas, according to reports, said his son has had mental health issues and that he was depressed and suicidal after leaving the police force.
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}
