Suspect in Jewish Center Attacks Turns Himself In

BLOOMINGTON, IN — Several acts of vandalism earlier this month shocked people of all religions. Someone destroyed Jewish texts and damaged other properties in Bloomington.

Mark Zacharias of Elletsville, 54, turned himself in around 11:20 Friday morning. About an hour later, he left the Monroe County Jail after posting $500 bond. He faces a single charge of institutional vandalism for smashing a campus directory at Goodbody Hall, which houses IU’s Jewish Studies program.

“It’s not just a relief for me and the staff of Chabad, it’s a relief for the students who go here and their parents who are reading about these incidents at home,” said Alex Groysman, Chabad Jewish Student Center.

From November 23rd through December 1st, four separate incidents of anti-Semitism were reported on the IU campus, including a rock thrown through the window of the Chabad House Jewish Student Center. It narrowly missed a female student in an upstairs apartment.

IU Police won’t say if Zacharias is connected to any of the other incidents of anti-Semitism on campus or just the one incident. However, Chief Keith Cash says there’s no evidence that indicates a larger organization at work.

“We’re working with the FBI and the Department of Justice ever since these first started,” said Cash.

Zacharias works at IU as a scholarship coordinator at Hutton Honors College.

“That’s obviously a prestigious entity on campus so it’s kind of scary to see that someone like that could work there and do these things,” said Rafe Kaplan, IU junior.

Zacharias is still employed by the university, but his name and contact information have been removed from an IU directory. An IU spokesman says a personnel hearing is underway to determine if Zacharias should be terminated. A decision is expected next week.

IU Police say their investigation is ongoing and that additional charges could be filed against Zacharias in the future.