'It's an attack': Man charged with damaging Chabad House of Kalamazoo

A man accused of spray-painting anti-Semitic remarks on the Chabad House of Kalamazoo was charged Wednesday with damaging religious property, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten.

Totten’s office says 27-year-old Jiafeng Chen spray-painted swastikas on the Chabad House in November 2023, and a prominent menorah in front of the house was also defaced.

City of Kalamazoo

We’re told Chen allegedly vandalized the house because of the Jewish characteristics of individuals associated with it.

“Every faith community in this country has the right to gather and worship free from intimidation,” Totten said. “Defacing religious property is not mere vandalism. It’s an attack on a constitutional right that tries to tell certain people they’re not welcome in the community. We will continue to work with our partners to prevent these crimes and hold those who commit them swiftly accountable.”

“This single incident created confusion, fear and intimidation in our community,” Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief David Boysen added. “We are thankful to have such dedicated officers, like Detective Stolsonburg, who put countless hours into this investigation. Only due to the continued partnerships and support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, the FBI and the Task Force Officer’s position, were we able to see successful charges in this investigation.”

The FBI took Chen into federal custody back in November for an unrelated offense.

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