Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that an East Meadow man pleaded guilty today to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime for spray-painting antisemitic phrases on fences and in front of a local Jewish center in April 2024.
Sebastian Patino Caceres, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday before Judge Robert Schwartz to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime (an E felony).
As part of his plea, the defendant must undergo six months of bias prevention training, 100 hours of community service, and take a guided tour of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. If he successfully completes these conditions, he will be sentenced to an A misdemeanor with three years’ probation. If he is unsuccessful, the felony charge will remain, and he will be sentenced to five years’ probation.
The defendant is due back in court on March 7, 2025.
“Antisemitism will never be tolerated by my office or by Nassau County,” said DA Donnelly. “My prosecutors held this defendant responsible for his offensive actions with this plea to a felony hate crime today, but with the understanding that punitive measures alone will not stop this intolerant behavior. It is through education and awareness that we can teach defendants about the gravity of their words and actions, change minds, promote kindness and compassion, and heal communities. This defendant has been given the opportunity to learn and grow from this criminal conduct. I hope that he takes this experience and turns it into positive change for his own life and potentially for the lives of others who would think about committing these hateful acts.”
“I applaud District Attorney Donnelly for following through on her commitment to fighting intolerance by securing a felony hate crime for this blatant display of antisemitism,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. “The Town of Hempstead will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to uphold and enforce our zero-tolerance policy against hatred in all forms.”
DA Donnelly said that, between April 14 and 15, 2024, the defendant spray-painted several antisemitic phrases on PVC fencing of the rear yards of private homes along Merrick Avenue. The phrases included “Zionism is Nazism,” “Stop the Genocide,” “Free Palestine,” and “F-ck Israel.”
The defendant spray-painted one of the phrases across plastic sheeting affixed to the PVC fencing that protected a mural of Israeli citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023.
Patino Caceres also spray-painted “Free Palestine” across the front cement sidewalk of the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center at 1400 Prospect Avenue.
Patino Caceres was arrested on April 16, 2024, by detectives of the Nassau County Police Department’s First Squad.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney James Taglienti of the County Court Trial Bureau under the supervision of Hate Crimes Unit Chief Kirk Sendlein and Narcotics, Firearms and Gangs Bureau Chief Nicholas Mauro and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Investigations Division Rick Whelan. The defendant is represented by Karen Johnston, Esq.