A man has been arrested in connection with the slashing of a "Stand With Israel" banner at a Miami Beach bagel shop that was caught on camera back in October, police said.
Nour Abaido, 24, was arrested Friday on a charge of criminal mischief with prejudice for damages over $200 and under $1,000, Miami Beach Police officials said.
The incident happened Oct. 28 at Bagel Time Cafe at 3915 Alton Road.
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Accoording to police, Abaido got out of an orange Ford GT Mustang outside the shop and tried to remove the banner but was unsuccessful.
He then started slashing it with a sharp object, causing about $400 in damage, police said.
Afterwards, he got back in the Mustang and fled.
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After the incident, the shop's owner, Josh Nodel, said the intent was clear, to make a pro-Hamas statement.
“Miami is not as safe as we thought," Nodel said after the October incident. "I mean, we have some Hamas supporters over here, Hamas for us is ISIS, it’s not a group that can negotiate with, it’s a terror organization, and having this over here, it’s terror in Miami."
Abaido, of Coral Springs, was arrested on a warrant with help from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Hate Crimes Unit and the Broward County Sheriff's Office's Violent Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response unit.
He was booked into jail. Attorney information wasn't available.
"I appreciate the collaborative effort of our partner agencies in bringing the perpetrator of this horrendous crime to justice," Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones said in a statement. "This act, fueled by hate, has no place in the City of Miami Beach, and I am immensely proud of our investigators for their diligence and meticulousness, which led to a successful apprehension."
About a month after the banner was slashed, a woman was caught on camera pulling the banner and an American/Israeli flag down at the bagel shop.
“Acts of antisemitism in the United States and throughout the world are on a dramatic rise,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “This is a serious concern for the Jewish people worldwide and we are making a statement here in Miami Beach that acts of antisemitism will be enforced and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
