Stores Catering To Jewish Community Vandalized In Highland Park, N.J.

HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Police have made an arrest in vandalism spree that left a Middlesex County community on edge.

Richard M. Green, 52, of New Brunswick was charged with five counts of criminal mischief after police said he smashed window after window among nearly half a dozen Jewish stores along Raritan Avenue on Wednesday morning.

Avi Reiss' store was one that was hit.

"I think it's a sick crime," Reiss told CBS 2's Christine Sloan. "Somebody out there has a problem, okay? And they don't know how to deal with their aggression."

Down the street at the Judaica Gallery the window still stands but it's shattered. Repairs were made to the front of the hardware store across the street, but it was a long morning for the owner.

"Just threw a top of a toilet through the window," David Krul said.

The prosecutor's office said it's investigating the broken glass crimes as bias-related incidents.

"I can't really answer that one, but based on what's going around, maybe," Krul said when asked what he thought the motivation might be.

The Anti-Defamation League has condemned the vandalism.

The ongoing investigation will try to determine if Green is responsible for other acts of criminal mischief that have occurred in the past several days.

Police said the shops were closed at the time and there were no injuries. The cost of the damage was not immediately available.

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