A woman accused of ramming her vehicle through the gate of a Tarzana synagogue and cultural center is facing a hate crime charge.
Police responded to a call of vandalism at the 6100 block of Wilbur Avenue. The suspect, Tikvah Mottahedeh, 54, is accused of ramming her vehicle into the Eretz Synagogue and Cultural Center gates and then proceeding to hit another gate on the property, authorities said.
Tensions over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has been on the rise at synagogues and other gathering places for the Jewish community throughout Los Angeles County.
A Sunday demonstration in support of Israel turned deadly in Thousands Oaks when an altercation broke out between a 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, and a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. Kessler died of severe head injuries. An investigation of the incident is ongoing.
Two hours after the crash at the synagogue, Mottahedeh was located by police and arrested on suspicion of hate crime vandalism. She could not be reached for comment Thursday. Several Facebook and Instagram accounts listed with the name Tikvah Mottahedeh include posts that are critical of the Israeli government, President Biden, former President Trump and Hollywood.
It is unknown if the synagogue and cultural center building sustained any damage but photos of the front of the facility show a large gate on the ground.
The Times reached out to the synagogue for comment but did not get an immediate response.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
