COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two women were charged in the vandalism of an Ohio State Jewish student center last month.
According to a release from Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, a 19-year-old woman and a 21-year-old woman were charged with ethnic intimidation, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief — all misdemeanors.
Police said the two women walked into the Ohio State Hillel Wexner Jewish Student Center in November saying they wanted to look around the building.
One of the women stood by the front door while the other woman allegedly went into a room and started taking small Israeli flags. When staff confronted the woman, she ran out the door cursing at them, "You support genocide", and "Free Palestine" while running to a waiting car, police said. A man in the car drove them away.
In a release, Klein said there is no place for hate in Columbus.
"As City Attorney, I drew a line in the sand on the kinds of hate and bias-fueled attacks directed toward Jewish and Muslim populations that have been on the rise nationwide. That’s why we’re taking action to hold criminally accountable those who vandalized Ohio State’s Hillel Jewish Student Center," Klein said.
The two women are facing up to 180 days in jail and $2,000 in fines if convicted.
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