MINEOLA, N.Y. — An East Meadow man pleaded guilty Thursday to a hate crime charge after spray-painting antisemitic graffiti on private fences and in front of a local Jewish center in April 2024, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Sebastian Patino Caceres, 23, admitted to Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree as a Hate Crime, a felony, during a hearing before Judge Robert Schwartz. Prosecutors said the vandalism included phrases such as “Zionism is Nazism” and “F-ck Israel” spray-painted on fencing and sidewalks, including at the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center.
As part of his plea agreement, Patino Caceres must complete six months of bias prevention training, 100 hours of community service, and a guided tour of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. If he fulfills these conditions, the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor with three years’ probation. If he fails, the felony charge will remain, and he could face five years of probation.
“Antisemitism will never be tolerated by my office or by Nassau County,” said District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly in a statement, emphasizing the importance of education in addressing hate crimes.
The graffiti included messages painted on fencing and a mural memorializing Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023. Patino Caceres was arrested on April 16, 2024, following an investigation by Nassau County Police detectives.
The defendant is scheduled to return to court on March 7, 2025, to ensure compliance with the plea terms.