A man is accused of vandalizing a historic D.C. synagogue with anti-Semitic symbols.
Police say the suspect defaced the Sixth and I Synagogue at 600 I St. NW, one of the oldest Jewish landmarks in the District. Anti-Semitic graffiti was carved into a door and drawn on a stairway Friday, the synagogue said.
The suspect then left the scene, according to a police report, but officers found and arrested him Monday afternoon.
Police say Luis Montsinos, 28, of no fixed address, is facing charges of defacing and destructing property, having an outstanding bench warrant and resisting arrest.
"While the damage to the building is minimal and will be fixed quickly, events like this can throw even the toughest person into a tailspin," the synagogue said in a statement to its community.
The statement went on to say, "It is no small irony that it was our doors, symbols of welcoming and inclusivity, onto which someone spewed hatred and bigotry. But we are stronger than a few swastikas; stronger than some impotent graffiti etched into our door."
