26-Year Old Clifton, NJ Man Arrested for Hurling Molotov Cocktail at Bloomfield Synagogue
Edited by: Fern Sidman
On Wednesday, local New Jersey law enforcement arrested a 26-year-old man and charged him with firebombing a large synagogue in Bloomfield, N.J., days after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the building’s glass door, federal officials said, according to recent report in the New York Times.
On Sunday night in a surveillance video, Nicholas Malindredtos of Clifton, NJ could be seen throwing the incendiary device toward the temple, known as Temple Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) according to the office of the United States Attorney, the NYT reported. He had been wearing a ski mask in the photo at the time of the attack.
The bottle broke and did not penetrate the front door, which is coated in a shatterproof film.
The Times reported that the violence, which occurred two days after seven people were shot dead outside a synagogue in East Jerusalem, underscored the worrisome rise in harassment and violence targeting Jews and Jewish institutions. New Jersey’s governor and attorney general visited the synagogue on Tuesday night, and a $15,000 reward was offered for information that resulted in an arrest.
“No one should find that their lives are at risk by exercising their faith,” Philip R. Sellinger, the United States Attorney for New Jersey, said in a statement announcing the arrest, the NYT reported.
The arrest marks the latest incident in recurring attacks and threats against Jewish houses of worship, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
While executing a search warrant for Malindretos’ vehicle, authorities discovered a hoodie and gloves that matched clothes worn by the attacker in the synagogue’s surveillance video, and observed a man matching the suspect’s description entering a nearby building on surveillance footage, according to a complaint filed by the FBI, as was reported by northjersey.com
Malindretos has been charged with attempted use of fire to damage and destroy a building, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000, according to northjersey.com
NBCNewYork.com reported that Malindretos is believed to have a history of emotional issues, according to officials
