Credit: NYPD
A former NYPD officer was arrested and charged with a hate crime after he allegedly spray painted more than 20 anti-Semitic messageson buildings and vehicles throughout the heavily orthodox Jewish neighborhood ofBorough Park on Saturday night, police said.
A man was captured on security video defacing the side ofthe Bnos Zion of Bobov girls’ school with slurs using pink spray paint. The graffiti, found along a stretch between 13th Avenue and 16th Avenue, includedswastikas and profanity.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the man in the video and the ex-police officer from Queens—identified as Michael Setiawan, 36, who resigned from the NYPD in 2007—were the same man.
Setiawan was charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime, criminal mischief, and aggravated harassment as a hate crime, police said.
Borough Park City Councilman David Greenfield called the graffiti spree, which took place on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, “unconscionable.”
“The crime is only more appalling that it was done on the holiest day of our week,” Greenfield said. “I have spoken with the NYPD and have full confidence that the hate crimes unit is taking this very seriously and will be bringing the despicable coward who committed these acts to justice soon.”
City Council SpeakerMelissa Mark-Viverito echoed Greenfield’s sentiments in a statement.
“These anti-Semitic crimes are outrageous, sickening and have no place in New York City—period,” Mark-Viverito said.
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