A frightened Highland Park, New Jersey Jewish community rested a little easier Thursday, after a suspect in an attack on five Jewish businesses was put under arrest on Wednesday.
Windows were smashed at five Jewish businesses on Raritan Avenue on Wednesday morning. Two of the stores sold Judaica, and two were Jewish restaurants – Jerusalem Pizza, Trio Israeli Gifts, the Judaica Gallery, Park Place kosher restaurant, and Jack’s Hardware. No anti-Semitic graffiti or messaging was found at the sites.
Richard Green, 52, of New Brunswick was arrested and charged with five counts of criminal mischief, a fourth-degree offense. Police are also investigating possible connections between Green and vandalism at the Chabad House of New Brunswick and the Hillel house at Rutgers University. Both sites were attacked on Sunday night, their windows shattered.
The Highland Park mayor’s office affirmed that Mayor Stephen Nolan is taking the crime seriously, and that police are investigating, but that there is no indication that there are any additional threats to the Jewish community of Highland Park.
