A 64-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing a number of businesses in the Topanga area—a neighborhood in western Los Angeles—by using rocks and cement bricks to smash glass windows and doors.
Police said they were investigating whether the series of attacks might constitute hate crimes based on three of the businesses being Jewish-owned.
Edelidio David Wallace was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported. Mr. Wallace was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism, with an outstanding felony warrant, and was being held on $5,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Officers responded to three vandalism reports at around 3 a.m. Saturday, within three blocks of the 20900 block of Victory Boulevard, where the suspect allegedly used rocks and cement bricks to smash glass windows and doors of several vacant buildings before fleeing the area on foot, according to the LAPD.
Police said the same suspect vandalized additional businesses on Vanowen Street, Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Sherman Way between 1 and 4 a.m. Monday using bricks and rocks.
The incidents all occurred within a 2-mile radius, and the LAPD Major Crimes Division was conducting a hate-crime investigation.
“The rocks recovered had ‘Glory’ and ‘Pay Up’ written on them,” police said.
The Major Crimes Division was also investigating additional cases of vandalism in the same area Friday and Sunday to determine if they were related to the others.
Detectives had earlier released a security image of the suspect, and described him as a 5-feet-8-inch-tall man weighing 170 pounds with balding gray hair.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to contact LAPD Major Crimes Detectives Beard or Patin at 213-486-7280. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. During non-business hours or weekends, calls should be directed to 877-527-3247.
