A reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the vandal who spraypainted anti-Semitic vandalism on an Irvine synagogue now stands at $10,000, city officials announced Wednesday.
The Irvine City Council on Tuesday night approved a $5,000 reward to match the one put up by the Anti-Defamation League earlier this month.
"The council and I hope that, by the Irvine community doubling (the ADL reward), we will generate more leads while sending the clear message that we will not tolerate hate crimes,'' Irvine Mayor Don Wagner said. He added that "with this reward we say to the evil among us that if you do something to any of us, you do it to all of us, and we will come after you.''
The vandal scrawled "(Expletive) Jews'' on the wall of the Beth Jacob Synagogue at 3900 Michelson Drive on Halloween, just days after the massacre of 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
The Beth Jacob vandalism also followed anti-Semitic vandalism at Irvine Valley College.
Anyone who has information helpful to investigators is asked to contact Detective Dave Tran at (949) 724-7098 or at dtran@cityofirvine.org. Orange County Crime Stoppers will accept anonymous tips at (855) TIP-OCCS.
