by Martin Wilbur
Yorktown police announced last week they arrested a 15-year-old boy for the anti-Semitic drawing that had been etched into the glass near the front entrance of Crompond Elementary School more than a year ago.

The suspect, a Yorktown resident, was charged with criminal mischief in the second degree, a Class D felony, said Sergeant Kevin Soravilla.

Investigators followed up on leads from the community and eventually zeroed in on the juvenile. After being interviewed late last month the youth was arrested by Detective Timothy Tausz, police said.

He was later released to the custody of his mother and was issued an appearance ticket in Westchester Family Court.

On April 28, 2005, a small swastika and a lewd illustration was found scratched into the glass of the front door of the school, possibly with a rock or other sharp-edged object, police said.

Second youth questioned
Soravilla said the investigation was continuing into the matter and police were in the midst of questioning another Yorktown youth in connection with the incident.

There is a possibility that a second arrest could be made, he said.

It was the first of several incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti discovered on school district grounds in the span of several weeks last year, raising concerns about hatred and bigotry in the community.

Soravilla said there had been several swastikas that had been drawn on desks and walls at Mildred E. Strang Middle School in the ensuing weeks.

However, the investigation has not uncovered any link between the incidents at the two schools because the suspect, a high school student, would not have had access to the areas that were defaced in the middle school.
"The ones in the middle school seem in no way related to the Crompond incident," said Soravilla.

Interim Superintendent Vincent Ziccolella declined to comment on the arrest since he said he was not in the district last year and was unfamiliar with the incident.

Rabbi Praises Yorktown Police
However, one local rabbi who had been part of a meeting organized by former superintendent Dr. Gordon Bruno in the aftermath of the rash of incidents said he was happy to hear that police doggedly pursued a suspect.

Rabbi Robert Weiner of Temple Beth Am in Yorktown said was satisfied law enforcement authorities did not give up on the case.

"I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the police and the local authorities were able to follow through on this case to find the person who did it," said Weiner.

While Weiner had high marks for Yorktown police he was also concerned where a teenager could learn to hate and from whom.

He was hopeful the suspect would get the help he needed.
"Anti-Semitism is alive and well not only in some other communities but in our own communities," Weiner said.