Local News

Boston man charged for alleged antisemitic acts in Newton

Alexei Rodriguez is an observant Jew, his attorney said in court Friday.

Alexei Rodriguez in Newton District Court. Ava Berger/Boston Globe

May 24, 2024

1 minute to read

A Boston man was arrested for allegedly harassing Jewish people and vandalizing the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston in Newton.

Alexei Rodriguez, 49, was arraigned Friday morning in Newton District Court. He faces multiple assault charges in addition to charges of larceny, defacing property, and a civil rights violation, according to court documents.

Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Newton police were dispatched to the community center, which is located on Nahanton Street. They had received a report that a man was tearing down blue ribbons on trees lining the property, Newton police said in a release. Officers located and identified the suspect.

A follow-up investigation found that Rodriguez was the alleged suspect from an April 30 incident in Newton. Police say he drove to town in a white SUV “in order to harass and intimidate Jewish community members walking in the area.” An arrest warrant was issued and he was taken into custody on Thursday, officials said.

More details came to light during his arraignment Friday. Rodriguez, a married father of four, was described by his attorney as an observant Jew, The Boston Globe reported.

During the April incident, Rodriguez was driving on Alderwood Road while flying a Palestinian flag out of the window of the SUV. He saw two young people wearing yarmulkes, one of whom later told police that the SUV started speeding down the street and swerved in their direction. They were not hit, Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Sheba Treworgy said in court, per the Globe.

Rodriguez is a teacher at Prospect Hill Charter School in Cambridge, his attorney said in court. A staff directory on the school’s website lists him as an English as a Second Language teacher for middle and high school students. He is receiving treatment for a mental health issue at the moment, the attorney said, per the Globe.