According to court records, another individual was taken into custody on Tuesday and accused of committing antisemitic vandalism at the residences of two Brooklyn Museum executives in New York City earlier this year.
According to a criminal complaint, Samuel Seligson, along with others, vandalized the homes of Brooklyn Museum Director Anne Pasternak and President and Chief Operating Officer Kimberly Panicek Trueblood in June. Seligson now faces four felony counts of criminal mischief as a hate crime and four misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief.
A spokesperson from the New York City Police Department confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing.
Leena Widdi, Seligson’s attorney, has been contacted by CNN for comment. According to prosecutors, Seligson is currently on supervised release and is set to make an appearance in Brooklyn Criminal Court in November.
According to court records, Taylor Pelton, 28, was arrested last week on the same charges. The Kings County District Attorney’s Office has reported that Pelton is on supervised release and is set to be arraigned in October. Moira Meltzer-Cohen, Pelton’s attorney, has declined to comment on the arrest.
The prosecutors have chosen to refrain from commenting on the matter.
As previously reported by CNN, on June 12, an unknown perpetrator splattered red paint on the front doors and windows of Pasternak’s home. Additionally, a sign with red handprints was left hanging at the entrance, which referenced her and the museum.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Hamas military wing uses red inverted triangles to mark Israeli and Jewish targets. In keeping with this symbolism, the windows and doors were painted with these red triangles.
According to the complaint, on June 12, the front and sidewalk of Trueblood’s building were spraypainted by the vandals. They also hung a banner with red inverted triangles and her name on it.
According to data from the ADL, there has been a surge in antisemitic incidents in the United States following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The organization, which has been tracking antisemitic incidents in the US since 1979, reported a 140% increase in such incidents from 2022 to 2023. The rise was particularly steep after October 7, with the ADL noting a “dramatic” increase. The NYPD data also revealed that out of 329 hate crime incidents that took place in New York City during the first half of 2024, 200 were directed at Jewish targets.
CNN was informed by Taylor Maatman, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Museum, that they strongly believe in differentiating between peaceful protests and unlawful activities in response to Pelton’s apprehension.
Maatman stated that the museum has a rich heritage of promoting artists’ freedom of expression and inspiring individuals through impactful art encounters. The museum’s objective is still founded on the principle that art promotes communication and mutual understanding amongst individuals with varying experiences and viewpoints.
