Key Evidence in Synagogue Arson Found

Federal investigators said Tuesday that they have recovered a considerable amount of “high-quality evidence” from the scenes of three synagogue arson fires last week, and they are optimistic about a quick resolution of the case.

Authorities were careful not to discuss details of the blazes, which are being investigated as hate crimes. But they said the evidence recovered from all of the sites contains clues that are usually destroyed in an arson fire.

“Some of [the] leads appear very promising,” said James Maddock, the FBI special agent in charge in Sacramento. “We are all optimistic on the task force that this investigation will be done quickly and will identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

The three fires were set within 30 minutes before dawn Friday, all in a 10-mile area surrounding the state Capitol.

Investigators say that leaflets were left at two of the synagogues blaming Jews for the war in Kosovo. The timing of the fires has also led to speculation that more than one person was involved in the attacks, but officials declined to comment on that aspect of the investigation.

Congregation members had high praise Tuesday for the rapid response of officials. Local police and fire chiefs were on the scene within an hour of the fires--the first of which was reported at 3:24 a.m.--and federal authorities arrived by 5 a.m.

In all, officials say more than 100 federal, state and local investigators have assembled from around the country.

James Malone, special agent in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in San Francisco, said the evidence teams concluded their search Tuesday and the material is being analyzed at a federal crime laboratory in Walnut Creek.

“It is very high-quality evidence,” he said. “Generally in a fire, most evidence is consumed. This was a very profitable evidentiary investigation.”

The majority of the damage occurred at Congregation B’nai Israel, where the sanctuary was scorched and a library containing more than 5,000 books was destroyed.

Knesset Israel Torah Center, about 10 miles away, sustained smoke damage, and nearby Congregation Beth Shalom suffered water damage from its sprinkler system. The total cost of the destruction at the three sites was estimated at $1 million.

Both federal agents declined to say whether a fuel accelerant was used to start the fires or even how many separate blazes were set at the three locations. They also would not discuss possible suspects.

“We want to avoid putting information out that is going to perhaps mischaracterize persons or groups that might be responsible,” Maddock said. “So we have to be very careful in our investigation.”

Investigators spoke to reporters at B’nai Israel shortly after Gov. Gray Davis and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo announced a package of relief programs for the three synagogues.

Davis said the state will offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the three arson attacks.

Cuomo added that federal loan guarantees will be available to help rebuild the synagogues under a 1996 program created when a wave of church arsons, mainly affecting black congregations, plagued the South and Midwest. The $6.8-million federal fund can be used to secure low-interest bank loans, officials said.

“The impression shakes you to your very bones,” Davis told reporters at a news conference after he toured the damage. “This is one of the worst acts of violence one can possibly imagine--striking at a house of worship.”