Woman charged with ethnic intimidation after allegedly vandalizing Royal Oak synagogue with antisemitic graffiti
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A 35-year-old Clinton Township woman is facing multiple charges after police say she allegedly spray-painted antisemitic graffiti on the building of a Royal Oak synagogue.
Randi Lucille Nord is charged with ethnic intimidation, a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine, and malicious destruction of a building, a misdemeanor.
According to the Royal Oak Police Department, officers responded to the incident around 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28 after a passerby noticed the antisemitic graffiti on Woodward Avenue Shul, a Jewish community center. A swastika symbol was drawn on the building as well as pro-Nazi propaganda.
"Hate crimes, and particularly crimes directed at our Jewish community are on the rise. Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Oakland County and my office will continue to call out and prosecute these offenses to the fullest extent of the law," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in a statement. "I formed the Hate Crimes Unit to handle cases like this and to ensure that we have the necessary resources and training to hold individuals accountable for committing hate crimes."
