Source: The Jewish Bulletin | June 5, 1998

Jewish teen in Southern California arrested in cross-burning incident

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — A 15-year-old Jewish boy has been arrested in connection with a cross burning on his parents’ lawn, an incident police had labeled as a hate crime.

As a juvenile, the boy has not been identified, but he told the Orange County Register that he participated in the cross burning because he was angry at his parents.

The incident took place in Huntington Beach, a seaside community in Orange County.

According to the newspaper report, the boy said he, two other juveniles and an 18-year-old man burned the cross last month because his parents wouldn’t let him stay at a beach bonfire party two hours beyond his usual 10 p.m. curfew.

The three others involved were charged last week with terrorism and arson carried out as a hate crime.

According to the Register, the Jewish boy also admitted to using chemicals to burn a swastika into his home’s lawn because his mother wouldn’t give him $3 for a pack of cigarettes. That incident was not reported to police.

“I’m really sorry that this happened,” the newspaper quoted the boy as saying.

Copyright Notice (c) 1998, San Francisco Jewish Community Publications Inc., dba Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.