Police Fear More Vandalism by Skinheads : Parents of 3 Held in Incident at Synagogue Meet With School Officials

On a day when San Diego Police Chief Bob Burgreen personally inspected a San Carlos synagogue--the target of racist spray-painting over the weekend--the parents of three teen-agers arrested in the case met Wednesday with officials at the students’ school.

The San Diego Police Department made no new arrests Wednesday in the desecration of the Tifereth Israel Synagogue, although one to two more were expected, possibly by midnight.

Capt. Mike Tyler said local police are “afraid” of increasing anti-Semitic vandalism perpetrated by Skinheads, the loosely connected neo-Nazi cult said to be responsible for a wave of such crime across the country.

“Other states, other cities are having these problems, and now us,” said Tyler, who Tuesday announced the arrests of five 16-year-olds. The five teen-agers were charged with felony vandalism of a place of worship and were released to their parents.

“We’ve had isolated incidents of vandalism and one of violence (in Hillcrest), all pointing to the white-power hatred of Skinheads,” Tyler said. “I keep reading how such groups are connected to (Fallbrook TV repairman) Tom Metzger and his White Aryan Resistance, and that worries me.”

Suspects ‘Bear the Skinhead Look’

Tyler said the teen-agers arrested “bear the Skinhead look”--shaved heads or “fuzzy burr haircuts.” He said that except for one, none showed remorse for the swastikas and slogans sprayed on the temple sometime about 2 a.m. Sunday. The five apparently conceived the plan after hours of beer-drinking in the garage of a San Carlos residence. The home is owned by the parents of one of three girls arrested--parents who were not at home, Tyler said, when the crime occurred.

Brother Michael, principal at University of San Diego High School, where three of the five attend classes, gave a terse “no comment” when asked what he and the parents had discussed, and no comment again when asked the parents’ reaction to the crime. He also asked that his last name not be published.

“I can tell you my reaction,” he said. “I have asked faculty and students to pray for the students and their families. We have extended our love and our peace to the community of Tifereth Israel Synagogue. I have called Rabbi Aaron Gold and invited him to come to our school, to pray with our students and faculty, and he has accepted, though we don’t yet have an exact date.”

In the summer of 1987, two University High School students were arrested after a friend was killed when a crudely made pipe bomb the three had constructed exploded on a San Carlos street. Brother Michael said he saw no connection between the cases, that University High was no more plagued with juvenile delinquency than any other school.

University High is a Catholic school, located across the street from the University of San Diego. The two boys arrested attend Mark Twain Junior-Senior High School, located next door. Two of the students live in San Carlos, one in Mira Mesa, two in the Rolando area. Brother Michael said differences in the teachings of Judaism and Catholicism had “no bearing” on the students, whose actions he attributed “to immaturity and ignorance.”

‘Foolish and Stupid Thing’

“We’re talking about 16-year-olds who did a foolish and stupid thing,” he said. “What they did is not in any way related to what we teach or believe. We embrace the Jewish people and the Jewish religion as the foundation of our faith. Our students study the Old Testament. I also don’t see our school as a hotbed of Skinheads. I see no evidence of that here, in dress or manner. I see this as an unfortunate act.”

Morris Casuto of the Anti-Defamation League of B’Nai B’Rith said Wednesday that no one had come forward to claim a $5,000 reward offered to anyone with clues leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. Police said Tuesday that dozens of tips had been phoned in, leading to the arrests that culminated a nine-hour investigation on Monday.

Police spokesman Bill Robinson said an 18-year-old, who was expected to turn himself in, did not do so and remained at large Wednesday. Police said the suspects continued to express shock at the magnitude of community reaction, claiming not to be aware of how serious the crime was.

Community Reaction Signaled a Change

“I don’t buy that,” Casuto said. “Sixteen is not 6. The degree of vandalism evident on that synagogue, the fury of it, would have drawn notice anywhere. I find such talk disingenuous.”

Casuto and police said the volume of community reaction signaled a turning point.

“Meaning,” Casuto said, “this can’t be allowed to continue. Something has to be done to make all houses of worship and individuals safe from such acts. If anything, these kids--inadvertently--created a coalition for decency by doing what they did.”

Casuto said the response of the Anti-Defamation League to such incidents in the future would be one of immediate vigilance, that the actions of Skinheads would not be tolerated.

Jewish leaders said synagogues throughout the area were contemplating beefed-up security and sophisticated alarm systems to ward off such acts.