Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that an East Meadow man was indicted on several counts of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime and other charges for allegedly spray-painting antisemitic phrases on fences and in front of a local Jewish center in April.
Sebastian Patino Caceres, 23, was arraigned before Judge Colin O’Donnell on charges of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree as a Hate Crime (a D felony); six counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime (an E felony); Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree (an E felony); six counts of Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree (an A misdemeanor); seven counts of Making Graffiti (an A misdemeanor); and Possession of Graffiti Instruments (a B misdemeanor). The defendant pleaded not guilty and was released to pretrial services with electronic monitoring. Patino Caceres is due back in court on September 13, 2024. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 2-1/3 to seven years in prison.
“Armed with a can of green spray paint and his bicycle, Sebastian Patino Caceres allegedly rode up to the Beth-El Jewish Center where he spray-painted ‘Free Palestine’ right outside the front door on the sidewalk. He continued on to Merrick Avenue where he made the choice to deface several homeowners’ fences with antisemitic vitriol, including scrawling hateful language over a mural of the faces of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, according to the charges,” said DA Donnelly. “This is not just graffiti – it is an act of hate. One that is meant to instill fear in our Jewish communities. But Nassau County refuses to live in fear. My office has no tolerance for these offensive criminal actions that target entire communities and their security.”
DA Donnelly said that, between April 14 and 15, 2024, the defendant allegedly 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 allegedly 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 allegedly 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 Bureau Chief Ali Ajamu and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for the Litigation Division Kevin Higgins. The defendant is represented by James Lynch, Esq
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.