Wednesday, August 07, 2024
Baltimore officials investigate suspected arson outside Jewish Museum of Maryland
Federal investigators are teaming up with Baltimore City officials after a suspected arson Sunday night outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and city fire investigators collected evidence on Wednesday that included fire residue and security camera video that captured a single individual setting the fire.
"The fire bureau investigation unit from the Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating the incident; it involved some type of fire of unknown origin," Baltimore City fire Capt. Dennis Dawson said.
A construction worker, who is part of a museum renovation crew, discovered burned material on Monday that had been discarded. The video may provide a key to the investigation.
"It looked like someone pulled up outside the museum Sunday night around 10:30 p.m., put an item out in front of the museum, lit it on fire and took off," said Howard Libit, the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council.
While the footprint of the fire is small, the intent is a big concern as museum officials want police to investigate it as a hate crime.
"There is no conceivable way they are not looking at this as a hate crime," Libit said. "It is very clearly a Jewish institution. There's a big sign that says, 'Jewish museum.' It would be very odd for it not to be some relationship … related to antisemitism, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel or something like that."
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