Man jailed for vandalizing two Sarasota, Florida synagogues

(A7) A Sarasota, Florida man has been given a five month prison sentence along with five months probation for vandalizing two area synagogues with swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti.

Vincent Alexander Martinez, 22, was sentenced to five months in Sarasota County Jail after he pleaded guilty on December 13 to three counts of felony criminal mischief motivated by hate/prejudice stemming from two incidents that occurred in the spring and summer of 2020, one of which coincided with Passover, Your Observer reported.

Martinez agreed as part of his guilty plea to pay restitution to the synagogues for costs incurred to remove the spray paint or repaint areas where the graffiti could not be removed. He also reimbursed the insurance company for the settlement of a claim.

A investigation was opened in April 2020 by the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office after a man was caught on security camera footage spray painting swastikas on the outside of Temple Emanu-El. A second surveillance video from July 15 showed the same main spray painting swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti at Temple Emanu-El and Temple Sinai.

After police released images and video from the incidents, Martinez was identified. He was arrested and charged in July 24, 2020. An investigation found that Martinez had used an ATM near Temple Emanu-El soon after the first incident and could be seen in security camera footage wearing the same clothes. He was also placed at the scene of the other incidents through cell phone records.