Arrest Made in Threats of Jewish Community Centers

An arrest has been made in connection with threats made to at least eight Jewish community centers nationwide and the Anti-Defamation League’s headquarters in New York City.

Federal authorities in New York said Friday that Juan Thompson has been arrested.

According to a complaint, the threats were made to harass a former girlfriend. The caller used the victim’s name while making some of the threats.

The phone threat to the ADL’s Manhattan headquarters was made Feb. 22.

Thompson was expected to appear in a Missouri court later Friday on charges that include cyberstalking.

There was no immediate information on attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Here is a look at some other incidents in recent weeks:

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ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

At least a dozen defaced and toppled headstones were discovered Thursday at the Waad Hakolel Cemetery in New York’s third-largest city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said state police will investigate.

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PHILADELPHIA

More than 100 headstones were found overturned Feb. 26 at the Mount Carmel Cemetery. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said those types of acts of vandalism must be treated as hate crimes.

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EVANSVILLE, INDIANA

The rabbi at Temple Adath B’nai Israel, in the southwest corner of Indiana, discovered a hole in a classroom window Feb. 28 from an apparent gunshot. Rabbi Gary Mazo said the shooter would have had to fire from a playground in the back of the building.

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ST. LOUIS

More than 100 headstones were desecrated the weekend of Feb. 18 and 19 at the Chesed Shel Emeth cemetery in the University City suburb of St. Louis. Vice President Mike Pence and Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens joined volunteers in helping clean up the vandalism.

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Parents scrambled to remove their children from a preschool at the city’s Jewish Community Center after a bomb threat was called in on Jan. 4. The same day, Orlando’s Chabad center received a threatening call.

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BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

The Levite Jewish Community Center received its third bomb threat of the year on Feb. 27. It was among Jewish Community Centers in a dozen states, including Illinois, New York, Texas and Florida, that were threatened. On Jan. 9, in the first wave of such threats, 15 JCCs received calls threatening bombings.

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