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Valley West Student Arraigned In Hate Crime Case
Valley West Student Arraigned In Hate Crime Case - Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 10:25PM EST
Reported by: Joe Holden
Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 @10:25pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- It's been called an absolute disgrace, no ordinary act of criminal mischief. Racist graffiti has marked the front doors of Ohav Zedek Synagogue in South Wilkes-Barre since early Saturday morning.
A major break in the case came Thursday night. Police arrested 18-year-old Nora Rynkeiwicz and charged her with institutional vandalism and ethnic intimidation. In court, it was learned Rynkeiwicz lives with her grandmother in Pringle and attends Wyoming Valley West High School. Rynkeiwicz's parents have a Factoryville, Lackawanna County, address.
Ohav Zedek was one of two places allegedly vandalized by Rynkeiwicz. Another place in the city was found, covered with racist graffiti. Police say Rynkeiwicz had an accomplice: a 17-year-old girl whose name is not being released because of her age. Prosecutors say it's not clear if the 17-year-old will be charged as an adult. Police said she was cooperating. They say they found cans of spray paint at the 17-year-old's home.
"I just went blank, there's no way you could've expected it. From the beginning we knew it wasn't a random act of graffiti," Detective Ron Foy of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department said.
Police and the FBI have been working the case all week. The hateful messages and swastikas were discovered Saturday morning. The markings were left where they were found until Thursday afternoon. About 300 members of the community, city and faith leaders gathered outside the synagogue as the markings were washed away.
Rynkeiwicz had nothing to say to a crowd of reporters and photographers as she left her arraignment in handcuffs, on her way to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. Her bail was set at $35,000. It's believed Rynkeiwicz would be able to post that amount, allowing her to avoid sitting in jail. Her preliminary hearing is set for next week.
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