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Feds arrest NJ man accused of throwing Molotov cocktail at synagogue
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 1, 2023
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Bloomfield Division of Public Safety
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Feb 1, 2023
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Authorities have arrested the man they believe threw a Molotov cocktail at a New Jersey synagogue over the weekend, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said Nicholas Malindretos, 26, from Clifton, N.J. was captured on surveillance video lighting the makeshift explosive on fire and throwing it at the door of Temple Ner Tamid Jewish Congregation in Bloomfield. He was charged with one count of attempted use of fire to damage and destroy a building used in interstate commerce.
“No one should find that their lives are at risk by exercising their faith,” Sellinger said. “The defendant is alleged to have gone to a synagogue in the middle of the night and maliciously attempted to damage and destroy it using a firebomb. Protecting communities of faith and houses of worship is core to this office’s mission.”
If convicted, Malindretos faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Authorities tracked down Malindretos in part through video of his vehicle, which was captured by a license reading device near the synagogue shortly before and after the incident, prosecutors said. After seeing several items consistent with the surveillance video inside the car, they obtained a search warrant for the vehicle.
Attorney information for Malindretos was not immediately available.
The Essex County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday put up a $10,000 reward for any information that would lead to an arrest. It was not clear if that call to the public contributed to the arrest.
New Jersey recorded 370 antisemitic incidents last year, making it the second highest number recorded in any state across the country after New York, according to the civil rights group that fights antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League.
Elizabeth Shwe contributed reporting.
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Catalina Gonella
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