“Well, the time slips away,” say Bruce Springsteen, “Leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of Glory days,” but the Boss neglected to mention that sometimes people do dumb things while trying to recapture a little of the glory of times gone by.
In 2016, Jacob D Beacher represented Metuchen at the Greater Middlesex Championship Cross Country Championships but eight years later, the 24-year-old Republican seems to have gone from winner to sinner, and the alleged Rutgers Islamic Center vandal is facing federal hate crime charges.
Jacob D. Beacher, a 24-year-old Republican resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey, has been arrested and charged with a federal hate crime for his alleged involvement in the vandalism of the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU).
The incident, which occurred during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, involved the destruction of religious artifacts and property belonging to the Muslim community.
Observers say it is unusual for the college town to experience such an ugly incident.
“New Brunswick has a rich tradition of activism and organizing, with the Rutgers University community often playing a key role in protests and other activist activities,” said Charlie Kratovil, the anti-corruption crusers who is editor of New Brunswick Today. “The anti-war movement and many other organized causes have hosted large events that attracted national attention over the past 60 years.”
The current estimate of the damage is approximately $40,000, court documents show.
Beacher was captured on a video surveillance camera near the center, according to court documents and “lawfully-collected historical cell-site data” showed Beacher’s phone was at the park where a donation box belonging to the center was found shortly after the break-in.
“We express a sense of relief and safety knowing that the suspect is in custody,” said Atiya Aftab, chair of the Islamic center. “This act of terror will not intimidate or break our community. We stand in firm faith and with resolve to redouble our efforts to the mission of our center. This incident did not occur in a vacuum.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Beacher faces one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities.
The charges stem from an incident on April 10, during which Beacher allegedly broke into the CILRU and caused extensive damage to its property, including religious artifacts such as Turbah prayer stones and items containing holy language from the Qur’an.
The criminal complaint against Beacher, filed by Special Agent Jonathan Norbut of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), details the events surrounding the break-in.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured Beacher forcibly entering the CILRU around 2:41 a.m. on April 10. Once inside, he is accused of causing significant damage to the center’s property before fleeing the scene.
Law enforcement later recovered a donation box belonging to the CILRU in a nearby park, along with evidence linking Beacher to the crime scene.
In a statement following Beacher’s arrest, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and New Jersey State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin emphasized the seriousness of the charges. They credited the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, and local police departments, in investigating the incident.
Rutgers University, where the CILRU is located, condemned the vandalism and expressed solidarity with the Muslim community.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 10, during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m., where he damaged the CILRU’s property, including several religious artifacts, such as Turbah prayer stones, which are clay stones on which Muslims prostrate during prayer, and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Qur’an, Islam’s sacred scripture.
The complaint also alleges that Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the CILRU.
The university emphasized its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and the protection of religious freedom on campus. Atiya Aftab, chair of the Islamic center, expressed relief at Beacher’s arrest and affirmed the community’s resolve to continue its mission despite the incident.
The charges against Beacher serve as a reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by hate crimes and religious intolerance. As the case progresses, authorities and community leaders are expected to continue their efforts to address and prevent such acts of bigotry.