Irvine man charged in threats to kill prominent Jews

A 26-year-old Irvine man who prosecutors say threatened to kill prominent Jews was charged Thursday with attempted hate crime threats, officials said.

Investigators found Nicholas Rose in possession of “kill lists” of Jewish people, a list of steps titled “killing my first Jew,” and anti-Semitic literature, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

He also had ammunition and papers referencing a church and a synagogue in Irvine, along with a church in Lake Forest, authorities said.

A family member called the Orange Police Department when Rose said Monday that he wanted to kill people and made violent threats against the Jewish community, prosecutors said. Authorities are trying to determine whether Rose was part of a hate group.

Rose faces three felony counts of attempted criminal threats, each of which carries a hate-crime sentencing enhancement, and three misdemeanor counts of violating civil rights. He faces up to six years and six months in state prison if convicted.

Rose is being held on $500,000 bail and is due in court next week.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

7 a.m., April 20: This article was updated with more information from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

This article was originally posted at 6:40 p.m. on April 19.