Authorities Arrest Teen In Rutherford Synagogue Firebomb Attack and Attempted Murder of Rabbi and His Family

I want to know what radicalized this teen.

HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Authorities arrested a New Jersey teen Tuesday following their investigation into the firebombing of a Rutherford synagogue earlier this month.  His father, however, said he doesn’t think his son did it or if he did he was “coerced.”

Nineteen-year-old Anthony Graziano of Lodi was charged with nine counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree bias intimidation and one count of first-degree aggravated arson for the Jan. 11 attack in Rutherford.

Graziano also faces arson and bias charges related to a similar incident in Paramus, an attack on Temple K’Hal Adath Jeshrun on Jan. 3.

“I’ve been crying all day. I don’t know what to say, what to do,” said Graziano’s father, whose name is also Anthony.

Investigators said they found Google searches of both temples. Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli described the Hasbrouck Heights High School grad as an unemployed loner, who was obsessed with Xbox and had a brewing hatred for Jews.

“We have no doubt that the arson and the attempted murder in Rutherford were directly the result of Mr. Graziano’s hatred for people of Jewish faith,” Molinelli told reporters, including 1010 WINS’ Steve Sandberg.

“He does not hate Jewish people,” Graziano’s father told CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey. “I don’t care what the prosecutor says. I know my son.”

However, a classmate of Graziano told Hennessey: “For the past two months he’s been talking about how much he hates Jews because they were going to take over the country. This kid is crazy. He’s insane.”

The arrest comes just days after the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office released video of a “person of interest” sought in the investigation into the firebombing. Investigators say surveillance video shows him leaving a Walmart on Route 46 in Saddle Brook after buying materials to make Molotov cocktails.

It was that video that authorities said had multiple tipsters calling in and that eventually led to Graziano’s arrest.

Molinelli said a receipt was found showing a purchase for duct tape, three cans of Suave aerosol spray, Crush soda bottles and low-grade motor oil. Molinelli said members of his department and police canvassed stores on the day of the attack looking into their databases before coming across the video.

Molinelli said the big break came when law enforcement officials linked all of the firebomb ingredients to the Saddle Brook Walmart, WCBS 880′s Peter Haskell reported.

“Our ability to track down a store that sold not just the Crush bottles, but duct tape, the same type of aerosol hairspray used and motor oil,” Molinelli said.

“It’s disturbing that a hate monger like Graziano was living in Bergen County right in our midst. The arrest shows this won’t be tolerated,” Etzion Neuer, of the Anti-Defamation League, told CBS 2′s Christine Sloan.

Synagogue Fireboming Person of Interest at Walmart (credit: Bergen County Prosecutor's Office)

“He’s my blood and I don’t know what happened. He just, I have no idea. I’m just, I’m like flabbergasted,” said Graziano’s father.

Several Molotov cocktails were hurled at Rabbi Nossom Schuman and his family inside Congregation Beth El. One landed on the rabbi’s bed.

(credit: Bergen County Prosecutor's Office)

Comments

[wayne]

What I would like to see is an investigation of who was teaching this kid his 'brewing hatred of Jews.' Was he getting this off the internet, from leftwing sites? From muslim sites? Was he getting it in school? How about we find out, folks?

[juniper]

It seems to be coming from all directions: the mainstream media, NYT, Obama and members of his regime, his friends, such as Al Sharpton who is already responsible for inciting hatred against Jews and the murder of Jews. He has his own show. Also, they are spreading it in schools, talking about how Israelis/Jews murder palestininas and take their land, in lessons. everything is geared to please - and not to "offend" muzzslimes!! So what pleases them? Jew-hatred.

[Ty]

a Jew-hating Ron Paul supporter?! Whaaaa?! ...shocked, I tell you - absolutely shocked!

[wri7913]

You would be surprised at the Jew hatred. I have been talking to one of my co-workers about Islam and events going on today. He has shown interest in the information I provided through Jihadwatch and Atlasshrugs plus many other various sites.

Only thing is he also keeps showing me sites that are virulently anti-jew. These are mostly leftist conspiracy theory sites that talk about Rothschild, the Fed Reserve (which I am aware of their manipulations), etc. It is mostly geared toward as this guy believed "jews are taking over the world" nonsense. Some of the sites sound plausible unless you have a deeper knowledge of some of the stuff they talk about and realize that many of their so called predictions were flat out wrong so far.

[vangrungy]

always ask a person who believes that Jews are trying to take over the world.. "In what part of the OT does God give Jews the whole world?"

they can't do that..

then point out that the quran gives muslims the instruction that allah gave muslims the whole world..
============================
Jews that are trying to rule the 'New World Order' are really Baha'i.. Communist atheism failed.. Universalist socialism is the new ticket to ruling the world..

some Jews are so desperate for a messiah that isn't Jesus they latched onto islam and Baha'u'llah's claim that he is the messiah of Progressive Revelation (second coming of Isa).. New World Order, Universalism, Unity in Diversity, Complete Central Control through the Universal House of Justice..

Universalism is just as dangerous as Atheism.. both seed to push factual history into a grave so deep that Judeo-Christianity would have no way of ever being resurrected..

[Jonah]

"a Jew-hating Ron Paul supporter?! Whaaaa?! ...shocked, I tell you - absolutely shocked!"

As was I! Couldn't he have at least dressed it up in a shoddy "Zionism" cloak?

"He does not hate Jewish people," Graziano’s father told CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey. "I don’t care what the prosecutor says. I know my son."
Grabs microphone:
"Oh, and Ron Paul 2012!"