Philadelphia synagogue urinator surrenders, charged with ethnic intimidation
Earlier this week, police in Philadelphia released a surveillance video of a man flipping the bird at a surveillance camera and then urinating on a synagogue in Northeast Philly. On August 16, 23-year-old Sheidali Dzhalilov of Rhawnhurst turned himself into the Northeast Detective Division around 7 p.m., according to The Philadelphia Magazine. After surrendering himself, police charged the man with ethnic intimidation, indecent exposure, institutional vandalism, desecration of objects, open lewdness, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Video captured the alleged urinator at approximately 12:30 a.m. on August 13th at the Congregation Beth Solomon, located at 198 Tomlinson Road in the Huntingdon Valley section of Northeast Philly. After giving the middle video to the camera and then urinating on the front of the synagogue, police say that Dzhalilov fled the scene as a passenger in a white four-door sedan. Police have since made the video of Dzhalilov vandalizing the synagogue private.
ABC News shared a portion of a statement released by the Philadelphia Police Department, prior to Dzhalilov’s arrest, which read that “the suspect ‘gave an obscene hand gesture in the direction of the camera, then began to urinate on the walls and sidewalk directly in front of the doors of the synagogue.’” Police received a number of tips regarding a possible identity of the suspect hours before Dzhalilov surrendered himself to authorities. Philadelphia Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum said that a rabbi in the synagogue at the time of the incident noticed some activity on the surveillance system and checked the tape which alerted him of the vandalism.
The rabbi then contacted police. Police say that the Congregation Beth Solomon has experienced recent thefts and vandalism prompting officials there to procure a high-resolution video surveillance system.
Written by: Ace News Today Staff
