Baltimore Police have reported the arrest of Assadollah Hashemi, a 66-year-old man, in relation to a fire set outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland, which is now being treated as a hate crime. The incident, which took place on August 4th, involved an individual driving up to the museum, placing an item in front of the establishment, igniting it, and swiftly leaving the scene. This sequence of events was captured on CCTV footage and described by Howard Libit, the Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, as reported by WMAR.
Upon reviewing the evidence, detectives identified the suspect, confirmed by Baltimore police on August 9th, using the security camera footage provided by the museum's campus. Notwithstanding his previous encounters with the law, with a history of fire-related offenses, SWAT officers were able to locate Hashemi on August 4th at his residence. As Baltimore authorities reported, the arrest on the 700 block of Druid Park Lake Drive occurred without incident, as detailed by WBALTV.
Following his arrest, Hashemi was taken to the Central Booking Intake Facility, where he was promptly charged. The motive behind the arson remains part of ongoing investigations.
