An East Meadow man pleaded guilty to spray-painting antisemitic phrases on fences and in front of a local Jewish center last April.
Sebastian Patino Caceres, 23, pleaded guilty on January 16 before Judge Robert Schwartz to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime (a Class E felony).
Between April 14 and 15, 2024, Patino Caceres spray-painted several antisemitic phrases on PVC fencing of the rear yards of private homes along Merrick Avenue. The phrases included “Zionism is Nazism,” “Stop the Genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “F-ck Israel.”
The defendant spray-painted one of the phrases across plastic sheeting affixed to the PVC fencing that protected a mural of Israeli citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023.
Patino Caceres also spray-painted “Free Palestine” across the front cement sidewalk of the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center at 1400 Prospect Avenue.
On April 16, 2024, Patino Caceres was arrested by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department’s First Squad. The defendant is due back in court on March 7, 2025.
As part of his plea, he must undergo six months of bias prevention training, 100 hours of community service, and take a guided tour of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. If he successfully completes these conditions, he will be sentenced to an A misdemeanor with three years’ probation. If he is unsuccessful, the felony charge will remain, and he will be sentenced to five years’ probation.
“Antisemitism will never be tolerated by my office or by Nassau County,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “My prosecutors held this defendant responsible for his offensive actions with this plea to a felony hate crime, but with the understanding that punitive measures alone will not stop this intolerant behavior. It is through education and awareness that we can teach defendants about the gravity of their words and actions, change minds, promote kindness and compassion, and heal communities. This defendant has been given the opportunity to learn and grow from this criminal conduct. I hope that he takes this experience and turns it into positive change for his own life and potentially for the lives of others who would think about committing these hateful acts.”
“I applaud District Attorney Donnelly for following through on her commitment to fighting intolerance by securing a felony hate crime for this blatant display of antisemitism,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “The Town of Hempstead will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to uphold and enforce our zero-tolerance policy against hatred in all forms.”