German tourists accused of drawing swastika, writing "Adolf was here" on LGBTQ bench in Miami Beach
Two men from Germany were arrested after being accused of defacing a pride bench in Miami Beach with antisemitic symbols on Monday.
One of the tourists has been released from jail Tuesday evening, authorities say. The second remained in custody, but could be released soon.
According to the Miami Beach Police Department, officers were called to the area of 12th Street and Ocean Drive to investigate reports that antisemitic symbols were found on the bench inside Lummus Park.
Police said that responding officers observed graffiti stating "Adolf was here" next to a swastika.
The Miami Beach Police Department's Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) was able to use city cameras to immediately identify and track the two men in question, police said.
Security cameras in the area captured video of the men, with one writing and drawing the graffiti while the other appeared to try and obstruct the act from public view.
The RTIU then tracked the men to the Colony Hotel at 736 Ocean Drive, and they were detained for questioning.
Police said that during the interviews, both men confessed to the crime and they were arrested.
The men were identified as Christoph Rehak and Gunther Manfred Jekschtat from Laubagh, Germany. CBS News Miami was at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as Rehak walked out on Wednesday, covering his face and declining to comment on the charges against him.
Miami Beach police officer and spokesman Christopher Bess told CBS News Miami that his department is concerned about the crime.
He said, "We have an egregious act of hate here. Park rangers flagged down Miami Beach officers and told them about the anti-Semitic symbols on the pride bench. This bench was donated by a Miami Beach commissioner." He added, "We have more than 1,000 cameras citywide, and in a matter of minutes our detectives were able to track down the footage, identify the males and track them to their location."
Bess said, "Our concern collectively is that there is no place for hate in our city. These guys thought they were not being watched. You have one defendant who played the lookout for an individual who actually drew the hate message on the bench. What they did not know is our eyes in the sky were looking right at them, and in a matter of minutes, we were able to identify them, locate them, and arrest them."
Bess said, "Our hope is that our partners at the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office will assess the elements of this crime and enhance our charges to a hate crime."
Both Rehak and Jekschtat are charged with first-degree misdemeanors.
A spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office told CBS News Miami that prosecutors are reviewing the case to see if the charges meet the requirements for them to be enhanced to a hate crime, which would be a third-degree felony.
Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine originally donated the Pride bench as a symbol of inclusivity. Magazine emphasized that Miami Beach continues to stand for diversity and acceptance.
"With the Miami Beach that I know, no matter who you are, we welcome you, we love you, we support you," Magazine said. "We all have our own differences; we all have our own unique characteristics, but the Miami Beach I know is not hateful."