BOSTON (WHDH) - A 17-year-old from Malden was arrested Monday after police said he vandalized Boston’s Holocaust Memorial. On Tuesday, a second person was arrested for trampling flowers that had been left at the memorial in wake of the vandalism.
Police said the teenager, who has not been identified, threw a rock at the memorial and shattered a pane of glass. The man who police arrested Tuesday has not been identified either, but police said he fled on foot after officers witnessed him kicking flowers.
“I’m very angry about what’s happening with hatred in this country,” Karen Goldenberg said. “I’m just very said.”
Witnesses told 7News that several bystanders followed the rock-throwing suspect and held him until police arrived.
The act of vandalism marked the second time this summer that the memorial was damaged. Police arrested a 21-year-old man with a history of mental illness back in June for allegedly smashing a pane of glass on one of the columns.
Prior to the June incident, officials said it had never been vandalized before.
The teen was charged with willful and malicious destruction of property and is expected to face a judge Tuesday. It’s not clear when the man accused of kicking flowers will face a judge.
The Boston Police Department’s Civil Rights division is also investigating to determine if more charges will be filed for a hate crime.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)