San Marcos man pleads guilty to setting fire to Austin synagogue

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas man whose journals have been stuffed with virulent antisemitic statements pleaded responsible on Friday to setting a fireplace at an Austin synagogue in 2021.

Franklin Sechriest, 20, of San Marcos, Texas, pleaded responsible in federal court docket to arson and a hate crime in reference to the Oct. 31, 2021 fireplace at Congregation Beth Israel, based on the U.S. legal professional for the Western District of Texas.

“These hate-filled crimes not solely induced injury to a Jewish place of worship, however they have been supposed to intimidate and undermine the well-being of the complete Jewish neighborhood,” U.S. Lawyer Jaime Esparza mentioned in a press release.

Prosecutors, citing Sechriest’s journals, mentioned he went to the synagogue three days earlier than the hearth to “scout out a goal.”

He was seen on surveillance video the day of the hearth carrying a five-gallon container and bathroom paper towards the synagogue’s sanctuary, prosecutors mentioned. Moments later, surveillance movies captured the glow of a hearth and Sechriest jogging away towards a black sport utility car registered to a girl dwelling on the identical handle as Sechriest.

The Austin Fireplace Division responded shortly. The blaze was a described as a small exterior fireplace that induced no accidents however resulted in an estimated $25,000 injury, together with the synagogue’s picket doorways, the division mentioned.

Sechrist was arrested a number of days later.

Sechriest admitted he focused the synagogue due to his hatred of Jews, writing in his journal “I set a synagogue on fireplace” and that he was actively monitoring media stories to trace the progress of the investigation into the hearth, prosecutors mentioned.

He faces as much as 20 years in jail at sentencing scheduled for June 23.