$4-Million Lawsuit Filed in Anti-Semitic Vandalism

A San Carlos woman filed a $4-million lawsuit Monday in Superior Court against six teen-age vandals and their parents, seeking punitive damages for an anti-Semitic incident last year.

Adele Goldberg, 31, whose home was defaced with graffiti, sought damages along with compensation for medical care, property damage, lost wages and installation of a home security system.

The lawsuit is believed to be the first such case filed in San Diego County.

The six teen-agers were convicted of various felony and misdemeanor charges for defacing the Tifereth Israel Synagogue and nearby homes. The buildings were spray-painted with swastikas, paeans to Hitler and other white supremacy slogans.

Local Jewish leaders called the incident the worst vandalism against their community in more than a decade.

In a similar incident last weekend, dozens of cars and garage doors in Rancho Bernardo were spray-painted with swastikas. San Diego police said the Saturday vandalism was the 131st hate crime committed by skinhead groups since last November’s San Carlos defacement.

The 16-year-olds convicted of the San Carlos crimes, three boys and three girls, were sentenced to pay restitution, perform community service, and watch movies about the Holocaust.

Goldberg and her attorney, Jeffrey Schwartz, said Monday that the juveniles were not adequately punished, especially since the attack was clearly premeditated.

“I want these skinheads to realize that Jewish people aren’t going to sit down and take this. I think they need punishment. The courts never did more than slap their wrists,” Goldberg said.

Although other victims of hate crimes have sued vandals in federal court under civil rights statutes, Goldberg’s is probably the first such civil suit filed in San Diego Superior Court, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Carlos Armour, who prosecuted the six minors.

“Maybe that’s where the true punishment is going to come in such cases,” Armour said.