FBI, Huntsville police announce $18,000 in rewards in Alabama synagogue vandalism cases
Published 8:59 am Monday, January 25, 2021
The FBI and Huntsville Police Department announced a total of $18,000 in rewards would be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for vandalizing two synagogues in 2020.
The Etz Chayim Synagogue was vandalized in the early morning hours of April 9, 2020, with anti-Semitic graffiti. The following day, officials say the Chabad of Huntsville was also vandalized with similar, anti-Semitic graffiti. The same individual is believed to have vandalized the two synagogues based on security video. Officials say the individual walks with a pronounced, distinct limp and appears to have a prosthetic left leg. Additionally, officials say the individual may have been driving an early model Toyota Prius.
The FBI is providing a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible. Huntsville Area Crime Stoppers is offering a separate reward of $1,000, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is offering a separate reward of $2,000. These two rewards are subject to their individual rules and are not administered by the FBI.
Prior to the vandalizations, on April 4, 2020, the individual was seen walking on residential streets near the Chabad of Huntsville in the Blossomwood neighborhood.
Investigators are asking that anyone with information regarding the possible identity of this individual or these incidents, please contact the FBI’s Birmingham Division, Huntsville Resident Agency at (256) 539-1711 or the Huntsville Police Department at (256) 427-7009. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
Huntsville Police media contact: Lt. Jesse Sumlin, (256) 746-4130