37-year-old man arrested in Tucson synagogue vandalism; no arrests in Islamic center vandalism

BrieAnna J. Frank, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
Update
Update

A 37-year-old man was arrested in connection with the vandalism of a Tucson synagogue over the weekend, police said on Wednesday.

Detectives used video surveillance to identify Dustin Wilkerson as the suspect in the vandalism of Kol Ami synagogue, formerly known as Temple Emanu-El. It was reported that rocks were used to break out windows, Tucson Police Department spokesperson Officer Frank Magos said.

Wilkerson was already in jail for assaulting an officer in a separate incident, Magos said. He was charged with aggravated criminal damage in the synagogue vandalism.

No arrests had been made as of Wednesday afternoon in the vandalism at the Islamic Center of Tucson over the weekend, Magos said.

The Tucson Police Department is investigating a incident in which a a group of people is suspected of punching a man and breaking a window at the Islamic Center of Tucson on Saturday morning, just before 6:30 a.m.
The Tucson Police Department is investigating a incident in which a a group of people is suspected of punching a man and breaking a window at the Islamic Center of Tucson on Saturday morning, just before 6:30 a.m.

In that case, a group of people is suspected of punching a man and breaking a window on Saturday morning.

Magos said that the incidents are being investigated by detectives that handle hate and bias crimes, but that "at the moment, there is no indication that incidents were motivated by bias or hate."

Investigations are ongoing.

Reach the reporter at bfrank@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8529. Follow her on Twitter @brieannafrank.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 37-year-old man arrested in Tucson synagogue vandalism