Disturbance at Fresno Jewish temple has police looking into possible hate crime
UPDATE: 3 arrested after Jewish temple confrontation were from out of state, Fresno police say
Fresno police are investigating whether a hate crime occurred late Thursday afternoon at the Jewish temple in north Fresno.
Officers were dispatched at 4:18 p.m. to the Temple Beth Israel, located off Maroa Avenue and just south of Herndon Avenue, following reports of a disturbance with two men.
Police tracked two men believed to be part of the disturbance about a mile south at the Catholic church St. Anthony, where the suspects were detained.
Also located at the church was the suspects’ van, which had “REPENT OR PERISH” spray painted on the side of their own vehicle, along with other religious messages elsewhere on the vehicle. The van had New York license plates.
It was unclear, however, if any type of vandalism occurred at the Temple Beth Israel.
At least seven fliers that contained religious content, along with a QR code, were heavily taped on a few of the temple’s windows and glass door.
But there was no signs of vandalism via broken windows or a spray-painted structure at the temple.
“We are looking at all the laws that may have been violated,” Fresno police Lt. Marcus Gray II said. “At this time, we are still investigating.
“We can’t call it a hate crime definitively. It’s not something we throw around willy-nilly.”
It was not immediately known if the fliers expressed threatening language.
The detained men are believed to be in their 20s.
Jewish communities have been on guard with protests occurring all around the United States, including a demonstration this week at Fresno State.
The repeated message at such protests have been to cut ties with Israel or divest investments in the heavily Jewish-populated country.
And the protests have become more frequent with the Israel-Hamas war escalating the past eight months.
When the war first started in October 2023, Temple Beth Israel was vandalized after one of its windows was shattered by a rock.
That incident occurred days after Israel was initially attacked by Hamas and 1,200 people were killed, including at least 11 American citizens.
Israel responded with strikes on the Gaza Strip that left hundreds of Palestinians dead or wounded in the blockaded 141-square mile area.
The Israel-Hamas war has continued since, with additional attacks from both sides.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported in February that there have been more than 30,000 killed and 70,000 wounded.
