A 17-year-old has been charged with willful and malicious destruction of property for allegedly vandalizing the Holocaust Memorial in Boston Monday, according to the Boston Police Department.
Photos from the memorial showed shattered glass lying on the ground at the site, which is made up of six glass towers.
When police arrived, they found the teen being detained by two bystanders. Witnesses told police they saw him throwing “what appeared to be a rock at the Memorial which shattered a glass panel,” a police press release said.
Each tower consists of 22 panels of glass, according to the New England Holocaust Memorial. Visitors often leave stones at the site – “reflecting the ages-old Jewish custom of marking a graveside visit,” according to the group. It’s not clear if one of those stones was used to vandalize the memorial.
The Boston Police Department’s Civil Rights Unit is also investigating the incident to determine if additional charges are pending.
“Today & every day Boston stands up against hate. I’m saddened to see such a despicable action in this great city…Thankful to public and @bostonpolice for quick arrest of the person responsible for vandalizing Holocaust Memorial,” Boston Mayor Martin Walsh tweeted Monday.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted: “Let me be clear: These cowardly acts of hate aren’t welcome in Boston or anywhere else in this country,” in reference to the vandalism.
The memorial was re-dedicated last month after being vandalized in June. A glass panel was also shattered in that incident.
