Police arrest man for Berkeley synagogue hate crimes

Police arrested a 37-year-old man after he yelled anti-Semitic statements Saturday inside a synagogue and in front of a Jewish community center in Berkeley.

Officers responded at noon to reports of a suspect entering the Congregation Netivot Shalom on University Avenue and yelling threatening and anti-Semitic statements against the members of the synagogue.

Officers found the man a short time later in front of nearby Chabad House, where they saw the man yelling at the front of the building after he had been prevented from entering.

Officers arrested the man — whose name they did not release — on suspicion of willfully threatening a person based on their perceived characteristics, which is considered a hate crime.