A teen vandalized the New England Holocaust Memorial and was arrested on Monday night. The 17-year-old boy was spotted throwing a rock at and breaking a glass panel at the memorial.
The following morning, Aug. 15, in a separate incident, a 37-year-old was charged for kicking flowers that were left at the memorial by well-wishers.
This marks the second time that the memorial, located in Boston, was vandalized this summer.
In June, 21-year-old James Isaac was charged with malicious destruction of property over $250 and willful damage to a church, synagogue, or memorial. At the time, officials said he threw an object at the monument, shattering one of its panels after he got into an argument there, reported the New York Times.
“The wounds from the last time this memorial was broken just six weeks ago are still very fresh,” Mayor Marty Walsh said, reported NBC Boston. “We don’t know exactly what the motives are, but we are worrisome that this is a resurgence of hatred that we’re seeing today in this country.”
According to WCVB, the boy appeared in juvenile court on Tuesday and was told to stay away from the memorial and follow mental health guidance.
“It makes me so very sad, as you can see,” said Karen Goldenberg, a local woman who attended a vigil at the memorial. “I’m very angry about what’s happening with hatred in our country.”
The memorial was built in 1995, and until this summer, there had never been an incident there.
The event comes just days after a 20-year-old Ohio man allegedly plowed his car into a crowd of demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing a woman and injuring scores more. The demonstration occurred amid the “Unite the Right” rally, which was attended by white supremacists.
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