The people involved in both of these cases of vandalism should be punnished the same IMO. Either they're both hate crimes or they're both just vandalism. What are your thoughts??????
Arrest Made in Menorah Vandalism
SAINT JAMES, NY (AP) -- It was one three acts of vandalism against menorahs in Suffolk County, but it may be the only one to have been caught on video.
Police say they've arrested a 20-year-old man for kicking the eight-foot menorah in the Saint James Chamber of Commerce display on December 17th. In the blurry, black-and-white video, a man is seeing jumping about four feet and delivering a kick to the religious candelabrum. It was left shattered in five or six pieces.
Andrew Cucciniello of Saint James was arrested Saturday on a charge of criminal mischief as a hate crime in the menorah desecration. He could face up to seven years in prison for the felony.
http://wcbs880.com/pages/178897.php?contentType=4&contentId=284822
Three Arrested in Nativity-Scene Pranks
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In the Region
Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey
Go to Complete Coverage » Three former North Rockland High School students have been arrested and charged with stealing statues of the baby Jesus from nativity scenes the last two years.
The robbers struck twice in Suffern and four times in Haverstraw last month and, according to the police, left notes saying, “Jesus never graduated from high school” and signed “The Opiates.”
The former students were identified as Stephen J. Hitchings, 20, of Stony Point; Paul J. McAllister, 18, of Garnerville; and Nina Zain, 20, of Haverstraw. Each has been charged with 14 counts of petty larceny. The charges include similar thefts in Haverstraw in 2005
While there was speculation that the thefts could be a hate crime, the police said the suspects told them they had stolen the statues for kicks because they were bored.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/n...Topics/People/W/Whitaker, Barbara&oref=slogin
Arrest Made in Menorah Vandalism
SAINT JAMES, NY (AP) -- It was one three acts of vandalism against menorahs in Suffolk County, but it may be the only one to have been caught on video.
Police say they've arrested a 20-year-old man for kicking the eight-foot menorah in the Saint James Chamber of Commerce display on December 17th. In the blurry, black-and-white video, a man is seeing jumping about four feet and delivering a kick to the religious candelabrum. It was left shattered in five or six pieces.
Andrew Cucciniello of Saint James was arrested Saturday on a charge of criminal mischief as a hate crime in the menorah desecration. He could face up to seven years in prison for the felony.
http://wcbs880.com/pages/178897.php?contentType=4&contentId=284822
Three Arrested in Nativity-Scene Pranks
Skip to next paragraph
In the Region
Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey
Go to Complete Coverage » Three former North Rockland High School students have been arrested and charged with stealing statues of the baby Jesus from nativity scenes the last two years.
The robbers struck twice in Suffern and four times in Haverstraw last month and, according to the police, left notes saying, “Jesus never graduated from high school” and signed “The Opiates.”
The former students were identified as Stephen J. Hitchings, 20, of Stony Point; Paul J. McAllister, 18, of Garnerville; and Nina Zain, 20, of Haverstraw. Each has been charged with 14 counts of petty larceny. The charges include similar thefts in Haverstraw in 2005
While there was speculation that the thefts could be a hate crime, the police said the suspects told them they had stolen the statues for kicks because they were bored.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/n...Topics/People/W/Whitaker, Barbara&oref=slogin
