Latest news with #CenterforIslamicLife
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Vandal who smashed up Rutgers Islamic center gets 6 months in prison
The New Jersey man who vandalized the Rutgers Islamic center last year was sentenced on Wednesday to six months in prison. Jacob Beacher, 25, was also fined $19,345 and will be placed under supervised release for one year after he gets released, reported the Central New Jersey Home News Tribune. Beacher, a North Plainfield resident, had been out on bail despite pleading guilty in October 2024 to the federal hate crime of destroying religious property. On April 10, 2024, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, Beacher broke into the Center for Islamic Life on Rutgers' New Brunswick campus. No one was inside the building when Beacher entered around 3 a.m., but he damaged about $40,000 worth of property inside, according to authorities. Beacher targeted several religious artifacts and items that contained holy language from the Quran, cops said. Additionally, he stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center. 'Jacob Beacher admitted he intentionally broke into the Center for Islamic Life during the holy Eid-al-Fitr holiday and damaged and destroyed religious artifacts because of the Islamic faith of those associated with the facility,' then-New Jersey U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said when Beacher pleaded guilty. With News Wire Services
CBS News
03-04-2025
- CBS News
Man who pleaded guilty to Rutgers Islamic center vandalism sentenced to jail for 6 months
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to six months in jail for breaking into a Rutgers University Islamic center on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr and vandalizing it. Jacob Beacher, of North Plainfield, will also have to serve a year of supervised release once he gets out under the terms of the sentence he received Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in October to the federal hate crime of damaging religious property. Beacher, who officials have said is unaffiliated with Rutgers, initially was charged in April 2024 with single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. The charges stemmed from a break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Beacher damaged property at the site, including several religious artifacts and numerous items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islam's sacred scripture, prosecutors have said. He also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center, authorities said. The Islamic center was unoccupied when the break-in occurred on April 10, 2024 at around 2:40 a.m., according to prosecutors. The overall damage was estimated at $40,000. The next day, some Muslim students told CBS News New York they felt unsafe at Rutgers. While speaking with the FBI two days after the break-in, Beacher said he was the person seen near the center in surveillance video, but he denied breaking into the site. The incident came a few weeks after the state attorney general's office had reported a recent spike in bias incidents in New Jersey.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man gets six months in jail for vandalizing an Islamic center at Rutgers University
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to six months in jail for breaking into a Rutgers University Islamic center on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr and vandalizing it. Jacob Beacher, of North Plainfield, will also have to serve a year of supervised release once he gets out under the terms of the sentence he received Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in October to the federal hate crime of damaging religious property. Beacher initially was charged in April 2024 with single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. The charges stemmed from a break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Prosecutors have said Beacher damaged property at the site, including several religious artifacts and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islam's sacred scripture. Authorities said Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center. Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers, officials have said. The site was unoccupied when the break-in occurred around 2:40 a.m., prosecutors said. The overall damage was estimated at $40,000. While speaking with the FBI two days after the break-in, Beacher said he was the person seen near the center in surveillance video, but he denied breaking into the site. The incident came a few weeks after the state attorney general's office had reported a recent spike in bias incidents in New Jersey.
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Associated Press
Man gets six months in jail for vandalizing an Islamic center at Rutgers University
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to six months in jail for breaking into a Rutgers University Islamic center on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr and vandalizing it. Jacob Beacher, of North Plainfield, will also have to serve a year of supervised release once he gets out under the terms of the sentence he received Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in October to the federal hate crime of damaging religious property. Beacher initially was charged in April 2024 with single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. The charges stemmed from a break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Prosecutors have said Beacher damaged property at the site, including several religious artifacts and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Quran, Islam's sacred scripture. Authorities said Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the center. Beacher is not affiliated with Rutgers, officials have said. The site was unoccupied when the break-in occurred around 2:40 a.m., prosecutors said. The overall damage was estimated at $40,000. While speaking with the FBI two days after the break-in, Beacher said he was the person seen near the center in surveillance video, but he denied breaking into the site. The incident came a few weeks after the state attorney general's office had reported a recent spike in bias incidents in New Jersey.
