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Alexei Rodriguez was arraigned on Friday, May 24, and charged with defacing property, larceny under $1,200, damaging property to intimidate, two counts of assaulting to intimidate, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of a civil rights violation in connection with separate incidents, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said.
Newton police were called to the 333 Nahanton St. center on Monday, May 21, after people there reported Rodriguez was tearing blue ribbons from trees that lined the property, the prosecutor said.
Officers also linked him to an incident on April 30 when he is accused of speeding up and swerving at two young males wearing yarmulkes who were walking along Alderwood road, authorities said. Rodriguez allegedly had a Palestinian flag on his SUV at the time of the incident.
A judge set Rodriguez's bail at $500 and ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device. He was ordered to stay away from the community center, the victims, and all synagogues in Newton, the prosecutor said.
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