Investigators look to identify man seen painting swastikas on two Sarasota temples
Surveillance video shows man vandalizing temples
Anyone who recognizes the man in these videos is asked to call the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office at 941-861-4900 or 941-861-4928.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Two temples in Sarasota were vandalized overnight. Sarasota County deputies believe the same man targeted both buildings and hope someone recognizes him and turns him in.
Before the sun came up over Temple Sinai, darkness surrounded the building as a man spray-painted symbols and messages of hate.
“I don’t have any words for it. It’s mindboggling,” Temple Sinai president Ellyn Bender said.
Bender got the call from a co-worker around 7 Wednesday morning. A maintenance man rushed to cover up the symbols before preschool students were dropped off.
“This morning I had to stand out on the driveway and inform the parents in as nice as a way as I could because there are kids in the car that this happened,” Bender explained.
Security cameras recorded the suspect, first at Temple Emanu-El off Mcintosh Road around 2:15 in the morning. About 15 minutes later, he appeared at Temple Sinai.
“We are all fine. There is no interior damage and it’s only spray paint,” Bender said.
And while the paint will come off, there's a deep pain left behind.
“Very disheartening, very sad and it kind of makes you very angry as well,” said Howard Tevlowitz, the CEO of the Jewish Federation Sarasota-Manatee. “Hate is hate and it’s important to state that this type of behavior is not OK and this type of behavior leads to physical action. It’s all linked to one another and this is the moment to stand up and say, ‘enough is enough,’ and for us, enough is enough.”
In this case, standing up to hate could mean the courage to identify and stop the man seen at the scene of both crimes.
“That person is full of hate and it’s really a sad situation in this country where we have so much in this country and yet people are so consumed by hate for one another,” Bender said.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is investigating. It will have deputies at the temples over the next few weeks to make sure everyone is safe.
Investigators described the suspect as a white male in his 20s or 30s, approximately 5’10” to 6’2” tall, with dark hair and a thin build. During both incidents, he was wearing a blue baseball cap, a dark long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and gray athletic shoes. His face was covered with a red bandana.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call 941-861-4900 or 941-861-4928.