An 18-year-old Portsmouth man, formerly charged with a slew of hate-motivated acts, has surrendered to police on new criminal charges, officials reported. Loren Faulkner is facing 31 counts of criminal mischief and hate-inspired criminal mischief for graffiti attacks back in February of last year. As per the authorities, after his arrest on Thursday, Faulkner was released and is scheduled for an arraignment in June, as per a Boston.com report.
Last year's civil case saw the Attorney General of New Hampshire, John Formella, bring forth 22 counts against Faulkner for targeting businesses, homes, houses of worship, and other locations, with the suspect inflicting damage that was reportedly antisemitic, homophobic, and racist in nature. The 18-year-old, who was involved in vandalism that damaged pride flags, sprayed hateful symbols on religious buildings, and defaced a Black Heritage Trail sign, among other acts, was fined and ordered to perform community service to resolve the accusations, PM Patch NH reported.
Faulkner's activities had put a synagogue and other properties in the line of fire, leading to over 10 swastikas and other offensive imagery being spread across the city. The aftermath of these actions saw Faulkner entering into a decree with the attorney general's office last month, where he acknowledged his role in 21 incidents spanning from April 2022 to February 2023.
The teenager had been overseas involved in missionary work when the case unfolded, and his mother reported to WMUR-TV that he had a very diverse upbringing, which included various races, religions, and sexual orientations. Despite his background, the magnitude of his actions led to a substantial fine of which a majority was suspended, contingent on good behavior for three years. Portsmouth police, after concluding its probe into the February 2023 incidents, issued the arrest warrant that ultimately culminated in Faulkner's surrender, with officers expressing gratitude to community partners like the FBI and local media for their assistance in the case.
