A Chesterfield, Missouri man was charged with property damage motivated by discrimination Sunday after he spray-painted two buildings last year.
Authorities arrested Frankie Rizzello on charges of vandalizing One Family Church and PokeDoke Asian Cuisine Restaurant with a group of people between January 1 and Oct. 11, 2023.
Police say Rizzello and the group of vandals wrote the name of a white nationalist group on the businesses, located on the same block of Delmar Boulevard in University City. The damages cost the companies more than $750 in repairs each.
The judge approved a $250,000 bond, cash only.
When police first approached him, KSDK reports that he “armed himself with a rifle,” and looked up what the penalty for killing a police officer is on the internet. The charging documents also allege that Rizzello admitted to participating in the hate crimes.
These documents accuse Rizzello of having a history of discrimination-motivated actions. This includes discriminating against residents of his apartment building for their race, religion, or sexual orientation. And, according to the documents, he told officers that he “didn’t like Blacks or Jews.”
The Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MO) celebrated the news. The Muslim civil rights organization’s Board Chair, Yasi Ali, responded to the arrest on CAIR.
“We welcome the arrest of the suspect in these disturbing acts of hate and stand in solidarity with those who were targeted.”
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