An East Meadow man has been indicted on multiple charges for allegedly spray-painting antisemitic phrases on the fences of private homes and in front of the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced the charges against 23-year-old Sebastian Patino Caceres, who faces serious allegations of criminal mischief as a hate crime.
Armed with a can of green spray paint and riding his bicycle, Patino Caceres allegedly targeted the Beth-El Jewish Center and several homes along Merrick Avenue between April 14th and 15th, 2024. He is accused of defacing the Jewish center with the phrase “Free Palestine” right outside the front door on the sidewalk. His spree continued with the vandalism of homeowners’ fences, where he spray-painted antisemitic vitriol such as “Zionism is Nazism,” “Stop the Genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “F-ck Israel.”
One particularly disturbing act involved the defacement of a mural depicting Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023. The defendant allegedly spray-painted one of the phrases across plastic sheeting affixed to the PVC fencing protecting the mural.
On April 16th detectives from the Nassau County Police Department arrested Patino Caceres. He pleaded not guilty to charges including Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime, six counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime, Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, six counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, seven counts of Making Graffiti, and Possession of Graffiti Instruments. Patino Caceres was released with electronic monitoring and is due back in court on September 13th. If convicted, he faces up to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.
“This is not just graffiti – it is an act of hate,” stated Donnelly. “One that is meant to instill fear in our Jewish communities. But Nassau County refuses to live in fear. My office has no tolerance for these offensive criminal actions that target entire communities and their security.”
