Five individuals were arrested following an alleged break-in at the historic Beth-El Zedeck Temple in Indianapolis, an act purportedly in service of a music video shoot. This event took place on Saturday, around 5:30 p.m., as reported by WTHR, with the 911 call indicating that these individuals gained access by breaking the temple's glass door.
When law enforcement arrived, they discovered several suspects attempting to leave the scene, one individual was apprehended after a brief pursuit, while others were caught on the property with police also finding a firearm and camera gear, as per WIBC, the Indiana Landmarks Foundation currently oversees the temple, which has been left vacant for several years, highlighting its significance as the oldest Jewish site in Indianapolis, dating back to its opening in 1925 with Indiana Gov. Edward Jackson in attendance.
The suspects, who were allegedly intending to capture a rap music video, included Anthony Bellamy, 20, Jaylen Young, 24, Aniah Weaver, 26, and two others from Indianapolis, as confirmed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. "Officers arrived and immediately, once they arrived, an adult male took off running from the location," IMPD Officer Drew Brown explained about the quick apprehension of the fleeing suspect in a statement recounted by WIBC.
While the motivations behind this intrusion were ostensibly artistic, the lack of respect towards a sacred and historic locale has sparked remarks from the community, such as those of Mark Dollase of Indiana Landmarks Foundation who lamented, "I wish that everyone would treat historic places and historic properties with I guess the same reverence that I do," a sentiment he shared in an interview with FOX59, and bringing attention to the temple's significance back in a time when the Ku Klux Klan wielded substantial power in the state.
