Ex-Cop Accused Of Spraying Anti-Semitic Graffiti On 15 Cars In Borough Park
Authorities arrested Michael Setiawan, a former police officer, and charged him on Sunday with criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment as a hate crime after he was captured on camera spray painting anti-Semitic messages in Borough Park.
The New York Times reports:
The anti-Semitic messages began appearing before 9 p.m. on Saturday around 14th Avenue in Brooklyn. The police said about four buildings and 15 private cars were marked.
Soon after, the Borough Park Shomrim, a neighborhood watch group, shared video with a Jewish news website, JPUpdates, showing a man in the act of spray-painting a door. The police could not immediately say whether the man in the video was Mr. Setiawan.
The Daily News adds:
The rants included “F–k you Jews” and “Jews ain’t s–t.” Many of the scrawls were found along Dahill Rd. and 37th St., and 14th Ave. near 38th St.
Surveillance video captured images of a bald-headed man wielding a spray-paint can.
Setiawan was assigned to the 69th Precinct, which covers Canarsie, before leaving the department in 2007, police said. A police source said Setiawan left the force because he was suffering from depression.
After several hours of questioning on Sunday, Setiawan was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
Although a police source told the News Setiawan left the force because of depression, the Times notes that the reasons weren’t immediately clear. Other reports indicate he was fired, while some say he resigned.
It isn’t Setiawan’s first run in with the law, though. He’s been busted six times since leaving the force, although the charges remain sealed and may have been dropped.
The Post spoke to neighbors, who said that the former cop is troubled and has been showing signs of psychological distress for some time:
Setiawan’s neighbors in Bellerose said he would lie down on their lawns and start bizarre conversations.
Randhir Singh said neighbors suspected him of scrawling graffiti and of keying cars in the area.
“He’s not well,’’ Singh said.
“I’ve seen him walking his dog and stop suddenly then he would pretend to punch the sky or he would look like he was swatting flies.”
Momana Ahmed said, “I hope he’s charged and kept away from us because he’s crazy if he’s going around keying cars. Right now it’s just harassment, but he could wind up hurting somebody.’’
Video via JPUpdates.