A Manhattan woman faces multiple criminal charges for shattering windows and splashing red paint across Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s Washington Heights district office last month.
On Monday, Brittany Hale, 28, was charged with felony criminal mischief and two graffiti-related misdemeanors for the October 8 attack. Security footage showed a second suspect who remains at large. Court documents show she pleaded not guilty during arraignment and was granted bail.
Join the JBN+ WhatsApp GroupThe vandalism struck a particularly raw nerve, coming just hours after the city marked one year since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel. Espaillat’s office windows had displayed photos of Israeli hostages, and just days earlier, the congressman attended memorial ceremonies in Central Park and his district.
It wasn’t the first time vandals targeted Espaillat’s office. Less than two weeks before, “F— Israel,” “genocide lover” and other anti-Israel messages were found scrawled across his office’s window and door, including an inverted red triangle – a symbol Hamas used to mark Israeli targets in its propaganda videos.
Though not Jewish, Espaillat has emerged as a strong supporter of Israel, backing increased aid packages and advocating for hostage families. He’s also stood firmly behind Jewish students facing challenges at Columbia University. His office regularly draws small anti-Israel protests.
“We are happy that the NYPD has made an arrest of those who vandalized my office,” Espaillat told the New York Jewish Week. “This matter is now in the hands of the district attorney’s office and the criminal justice system, and I trust justice will be served.”
Similar vandalism has hit the offices of other pro-Israel representatives, including Democrats Daniel Goldman and Ritchie Torres, and Republican Mike Lawler.
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