A man has admitted to committing a hate crime after vandalizing an Islamic center at New Jersey’s prominent university during the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, according to a statement from federal prosecutors on Thursday.
Jacob Beacher, a 24-year-old resident of North Plainfield, is facing a potential prison sentence of up to three years following his guilty plea to charges of damaging religious property. The sentencing is scheduled for February 11.
Initially charged in April with obstructing religious practice and providing false statements to federal agents, Beacher’s case relates to a break-in that occurred on April 10 at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Prosecutors reported that Beacher vandalized various religious artifacts and items featuring sacred inscriptions from the Quran, which is the sacred text of Islam.
Additionally, authorities stated that he also stole items from the center, including a Palestinian flag and a charity donation box. It has been confirmed by university officials that Beacher does not have any affiliation with Rutgers University.
At the time of the break-in, which took place around 2:40 a.m., the center was unoccupied. The total damage inflicted on the premises has been estimated at around $40,000.
During an FBI interview two days post-break-in, Beacher admitted to being captured on surveillance footage near the center but denied committing the break-in. This incident occurred shortly after New Jersey’s attorney general’s office reported an increase in bias-related incidents within the state.
