David William Denton, a 45-year-old Berkeley man, was convicted by a jury this week of arson for using a pocket torch to set fire to a mezuzah scroll attached to a doorway on Bancroft Way in Berkeley. The Feb. 6 blaze struck the entrance of a Jewish religious study center, and a judge ordered Denton into custody to await sentencing on Sept. 3, when he faces a maximum of three years in state prison.
The Alameda County District Attorney's Office confirmed the jury's verdict, according to NBC Bay Area, which reported that prosecutors said the fire damaged the mezuzah's scroll itself. The center targeted was Berkeley Hillel at 2736 Bancroft Way, where students were gathered for a Friday night Shabbat celebration around 7:20 p.m. when the scroll was set ablaze, according to J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
In a statement carried by NBC Bay Area, Ursula Jones Dickson of the district attorney's office said, "Targeting and burning a sacred religious symbol is an act that can cause harm far beyond the physical damage itself." She added, "People of every faith should be able to practice their religion and gather in their communities without fear of intimidation."
A History of Targeting Berkeley Jewish Institutions
Denton was not new to targeting the local Jewish community, the outlet reported. He was previously arrested in May 2021 following a 24-hour vandalism spree that hit three Berkeley institutions — Berkeley Hillel, Congregation Beth El, and the home of UC Berkeley Chabad director Rabbi Gil Leeds — during which he damaged mezuzahs and scrawled messages in English and Hebrew.
Robbery Allegation Led Police to the Fire
On the night of the Feb. 6 fire, Berkeley police initially responded to arrest Denton on suspicion of robbing a man of artwork and striking him in the face with a rock, before a security guard linked him to the mezuzah burning, per the same account. Arrest records reviewed by localcrimenews.com showed Denton had been arrested 26 times in Alameda County over the preceding five years.
Alameda County prosecutors initially charged Denton on Feb. 10 with second-degree robbery with a deadly weapon, arson of an inhabited building, and vandalism of religious property, along with hate crime enhancements on the arson and vandalism counts, the outlet reported. Deputy District Attorney Matthew Foley said at the time that Denton refused to appear for his plea hearing and was held on $100,000 bail.
Case Moves From Hate Crime Charges to Arson Conviction
It remains unclear whether the hate crime enhancements were dismissed before trial or rejected during deliberations — the conviction announced this week covered arson alone, according to NBC Bay Area. The report did not specify what became of the robbery count filed in February.
Scroll Replaced Within a Day, Programs Undisturbed
Despite the fire, the mezuzah's protective casing was not damaged, and the burned scroll was replaced the next day, allowing Hillel's student programs to continue without interruption, per J.'s reporting.
Lifetime Registration Looms Under State Arson Law
Denton will also be required to register as an arson offender if he is sentenced, the outlet reported. Under California Penal Code Section 457.1, a felony arson conviction triggers a registration requirement with local law enforcement within 14 days of release or sentencing, an obligation that lasts a lifetime unless a court grants relief, according to Bulldog Law.
Part of a Rising Wave of Anti-Jewish Incidents
Statewide, reported hate crime events rose 2.7% from 1,970 in 2023 to 2,023 in 2024, with anti-Jewish incidents representing a primary driver of religious-bias offenses, according to the California Department of Justice. Alameda County recorded 160 reported hate crime offenses in 2023.
The Berkeley case follows other recent attacks on Jewish religious symbols at West Coast campuses, including a mezuzah attack at Reed College that also drew scrutiny this year. Hoodline has also reported on an Oakland man's 19-year firebombing sentence tied to a separate series of arson attacks near the UC Berkeley campus.
