A man has confessed to committing a hate crime after vandalizing an Islamic center at New Jersey’s flagship university during the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr, according to federal prosecutors.
Jacob Beacher, 24, from North Plainfield, could face up to three years in prison following his sentencing scheduled for February 11. He pleaded guilty to the intentional damage of religious property.
Initially charged in April, Beacher faced counts related to obstructing religious practices and providing false statements to federal authorities in connection with an incident on April 10 at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
Prosecutors revealed that Beacher caused significant damage to religious property, including various artifacts and items inscribed with sacred Quranic text. In addition, he was reported to have stolen a Palestinian flag and a charity box from the center.
Officials confirmed that Beacher has no affiliation with Rutgers University.
The break-in occurred at approximately 2:40 a.m., and authorities estimated the total damage incurred to be around $40,000.
Two days following the incident, Beacher admitted to the FBI that he appeared in surveillance footage near the center but denied any involvement in the break-in. This incident follows a reported rise in bias-related incidents throughout New Jersey, as noted by the state attorney general’s office.
