The US Justice Department has confirmed that a suspect has been caught in connection with an "attempted firebombing" of a synagogue in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
Surveillance footage shows a guy in a black hoodie throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at a New Jersey synagogue Ner Tamid at around 3:00 am on Sunday.
The Justice Department said Wednesday that license plate scanners identified Nicholas Malindretos, 26, of Clifton, New Jersey, per USA Today.
According to an FBI complaint, officials found a sweatshirt and gloves that matched the New Jersey firebomb suspect's attire on the synagogue's security camera and saw a guy resembling the suspect's appearance enter a neighboring building while searching Malindretos' car.
Acting ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller described an alleged attempted firebombing of a place of worship as an assault on the whole community, according to a press release by the US Department of Justice.
"We are honored to work side by side with our local, state, and federal partners to bring today's charge," he noted.
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US Anti-Semitic Attacks Increases
Following Malindretos' first court appearance on Thursday, US Attorney Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey informed reporters that Kiel had ordered the suspect's detention upon the premise that "he would otherwise present a danger to the community" following the New Jersey firebomb incident.
There had been an increase in anti-Semitic assaults and threats against Jewish houses of worship at the time of the New Jersey synagogue incident.
The Anti-Defamation League, a global Jewish non-governmental anti-hate organization, reported 121 antisemitic attacks against Jewish institutions from June to early December last year. It anticipates the number to climb once the data is completed, as per an UPI report.
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