MIAMI (WSVN) - Police said they have arrested a man who, they said, threw a menorah to the ground in downtown Miami, and the crime was caught on camera.
Surveillance footage released on Tuesday shows the suspect, identified as 46-year-old Nicholas Eichorst, tearing down the menorah and pushing it to the ground, Monday night.
The menorah, located outside of the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office, was part of the office’s first ceremony lighting a menorah on Saturday.
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez issued a statement denouncing the latest act of vandalism, saying it “has no place in Miami-Dade County and no place in a civilized society.”
The county office had celebrated its first ever Hanukkah ceremony over the weekend for the holiday that ended on Monday.
According to the arrest report, it’s not the first time Eichorst has targeted the Tax Collector’s Office. Last month, Eichorst was arrested for throwing a rock at the building, cracking one of the windows.
Fernandez called the vandalism a despicable act and said the county’s tax collector’s office is working with authorities to identify the man in the video.
The tax collector said he wants to focus as well on the good Samaritan who found the vandalized menorah and restored it.
“But the good thing is, in the video, is that one bad actor can, you know, destroy the menorah, but another good person from our community comes back and restores the menorah, and that is the message that we wanted to give to our community,” Fernandez said. “It’s not a message about hate. It’s the message about, we are here to continue to fight for light, and that is the most important message here: that the only way to fight darkness is with light.”
Fernandez’s office said they are also looking for the good Samaritan so they can thank him.
The menorah is standing and lit once again as of Tuesday night.
“It doesn’t matter what’s your faith, we’re going to be here for you,” said Fernandez.
Authorities said the estimated damage for this incident is $500.
Eichorst remains behind bars on $2,500 bond.
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