3 minute read
Nessah Vandal Sentenced
BY SAM BRASLOW
Nessah Synagogue Anton Redding, the man who vandalized the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills last December, pleaded no contest to a felony count of vandalism of religious property on Nov. 19. Redding was ordered to pay $166,000 in restitution and to serve 220 days in County jail. With credit for time served, he will not serve any additional time. The 25-year-old Pennsylvania native, who has a history of substance misuse, must also complete a 12-month residential treatment program and serve fi ve years probation as a part of his plea deal. Redding was initially charged with vandalism of a religious property and commercial burglary, with a penalty enhancement for a hate crime. As a part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped the burglary and hate crimes charges.
“The District Attorney’s Offi ce has been aware of the extraordinary impact that this off ense had on Nessah Synagogue and its congregation, and on the community at large, since its commission,” Head Deputy D.A. Steven Katz told the Courier. “The District Attorney’s Offi ce is grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with the Beverly Hills Police Department and with representatives of Nessah Synagogue in the prosecution and settlement of this case. We are very satisfi ed by the terms on which we were able to resolve the matter and hopeful that Mr. Redding will continue to benefi t from the rehabilitative services he is receiving in residential treatment.”
In December of 2019, congregants of the Iranian Jewish temple found their house of worship in disarray—trash cans upended, chairs and furniture toppled over, prayer rugs and yarmulkes scattered about, and Torah scrolls thrown onto the ground. Two hearts appeared on the wall, drawn in the chalky white residue of a fi re extinguisher. Law enforcement immediately jumped into action, and following a fi ve-day interstate manhunt, offi cers with the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) located Redding in Kona, Hawaii.
In a statement to the Courier, Redding’s attorney Alan Eisner, said, “We understand that this incident caused considerable concern to the community and for this Mr. Redding is profoundly sorry and remorseful. Mr. Redding wants to express that he has never in the past, nor during this incident, bore any ill will to The Nessah Synagogue, its members, or the wider Jewish community.”
Representatives from Nessah Synagogue were “fully supportive of the negotiated plea,” according to a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s offi ce. A representative from Nessah attended the Nov. 19 plea hearing to accept a $33,000 check for partial restitution and to read a victim-impact statement to the court.
BY SAMUEL BRASLOW
Seniors received Thanksgiving meals on Nov. 25
On Nov. 23, the Beverly Hills Health and Safety Commission recognized the work of members of the community in responding to the unprecedented public health crisis presented by COVID-19. The commission honored two doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for their work with elderly members of Beverly Hills in reducing loneliness and social isolation. The commission further acknowledged the work done by staff in administering the COVID-19 Senior Meal Program.
Commissioner Dr. Erica Felsenthal presented the Health and Safety Recognition Award to Dr. Allison Mays and Dr. Sonja Rosen for their work with the Leveraging Exercise to Age in Place (LEAP) program. The results of the program appear in an article published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Mays, the principal investigator on the study, and Dr. Rosen, co-investigator, began the program in July 2018 and ran it through March 2020, when the pandemic forced them to move classes online. Even with the interruption, the study returned promising results. The 382 participants reported a 6.9 percent decrease in loneliness and a 3.3 percent improvement in social connectedness after six months. The benefi ts did not disappear in quarantine. The 59 subjects who participated in virtual workouts did not see a statistically signifi cant change in loneliness or social isolation after the implementation of stay-at-home orders. (Health and Safety continues on page 11)
