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Home invasion suspect yells "Free Palestine" while being arrested in Studio City

Possible hate crime investigation in Studio City
Possible hate crime investigation in Studio City 01:56

A man was yelling "Free Palestine" and "brown people matter" as he was being taken into custody for trying to break into a home in the Studio City area Wednesday morning.

Officers were sent to a home in the 3000 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard around 5:30 a.m. for a possible home invasion, according to the Los Angeles Police Department reported.

The homeowner, Mendel Meyers, said he woke up around 5 a.m. to a man kicking in his back door. He was able to push the suspect outside into the backyard while his wife called police.

KCAL News reporter Tina Patel talked with Meyers about the break-in and said the suspect was yelling, "Israel kill people."

Meyers, who is from Israel, continued to say he was scared for his family because of the war happening in the Middle East.

When police arrived at the scene, they located the man and put him in handcuffs.

He said "Free Palestine" repeatedly and "brown people matter" from the back of a police car as he was being taken into custody.

Police originally were calling it a burglary, but they now they are calling it a hate crime investigation.

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