On Thursday, Gainesville Police arrested the suspect who allegedly vandalized the Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Student Center on Nov. 24.

According to a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) release, detectives and officers arrested Geoffrey Alan Lush, 50, for his involvement in damaging property that belonged to the center on the morning of Nov. 24.

The investigation revealed that, on Nov. 23 around 6:12 p.m., the UF Hillel Conference Center received a threatening voicemail. According to the release, the voicemail stated, “If you do not value the lives of children then we do not value yours at all. At all. May you burn in the fires of hell for eternity. Every single one of you.”

The caller sounded like an adult male and, during the investigation, a GPD detective discovered other religious centers had received a similar voicemail and email the same day.

On the morning of Nov. 24, members of the religious centers found several items vandalized. One sign on the front of the building had the phrases, “BURN In Hell,” “Child N Murder” and “CHILD MURDERS” written on it. A banner around the front door had the phrases, “CHILD MURDERS” AND “BURN IN HELL” written on it. On the sidewalk in front of the building, there was a Star of David drawn and, beside the star, was an arrow pointed at it with phrases, “Star of MOLEC” and “DAVID HAD D NO STAR.”

According to the release, “the damage to the sign, banner and sidewalk has already exceeded $200.00 in labor costs in unsuccessful attempts to repair the items. It is anticipated the cost of repair will rise as the sign and banner will need to be replaced.”

After reviewing the center’s surveillance footage, it showed that a tall adult white male wearing a long dark trench coat approached the center on foot from the east around 5:58 a.m. The subject was recorded vandalizing the three aforementioned locations before walking away toward the east around 6:02 a.m.

University of Florida Police Department detectives worked with the GPD in gathering information on Lush. In the investigation, it was found that the phone number and email address where the hate messages came from were Lush’s. And on his social media platforms, Lush expressed the same beliefs he used in vandalizing the centers, along with describing other random acts of vandalism committed prior to Nov. 24.

A Chabad UF press release sent Friday morning stated:

“Chabad UF is pleased to notify the students and community that the perpetrator of the antisemitic vandalism at our Center was arrested Thursday evening.

We want to thank law enforcement for their swift action in catching the offender and for their continuous protection of all citizens. We are grateful to the UF and Gainesville community for their concern and support, always.

Antisemitism, hatred and bigotry of any type is never acceptable and must be called out in any form or when targeting any individual or group.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of righteous memory, said that an effective response to antisemitism is to increase and strengthen Jewish activity and observance.

We encourage everyone to do an extra Mitzvah – good deed to add goodness and kindness to our community and world. Give charity, visit the sick, Jewish men put on Tefillin and in honor of the Shabbat tonight, all Jewish women and girls are encouraged to Light the Shabbat candles prior to sunset (in Gainesville at 5:12PM).

Chabad UF is committed to its mission of providing, proud Jewish Life and Learning to the students and community and to double our efforts to strengthen Judaism, advocate for Israel and continue to bring light and joy to the UF, SFC and Gainesville communities.”

Lush was charged with written threats to kill or injure and criminal mischief in a place of worship is being held in the Alachua County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

UF students have struggled with the Israel-Hamas war, as UF has the largest reported population of Jewish undergraduate students (6,500) in the county with another 2,900 in graduate enrollment. Antisemitism has been on the rise worldwide since the Hamas terrorist group attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and a UF Jewish fraternity had their pro-Israel sign vandalized in recent weeks.