Anti-Semitic Fliers Surface in Chevy Chase, Silver Spring Neighborhoods

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Anti-Semitic fliers have been distributed in Chevy Chase and Silver Spring neighborhoods in the past two days, and police are working to determine if the two incidents are related.

Montgomery County Police describe the fliers as looking like a scrapbook of anti-Semitic writings that are photocopied and arranged on leaflets. Police took a report of the fliers in the Village of Martin’s Additions area of Chevy Chase on Wednesday and then Thursday morning an officer reported the fliers were distributed along Luzerne Avenue in Silver Spring.

Jean Sperling, town manager for the Village of Martin’s Additions, told MyMCMedia, that home security video given to police may show an elderly man distributing the fliers. A group of boys in the community have collected all the fliers.

“The word I get is in talking with police officers is that this guy is no real threat and that the material is offensive but not a crime. It is in all likelihood someone who is mentally ill,” Sperling told the media outlet.

Last month, teenagers reportedly made what one suspect called “a bad joke” when they painted swastikas, the initials KKK and other hate-based graffiti on the walls, windows and doors of the Shaare Torah Synagogue. One Gaithersburg teenager charged in the vandalism said the graffiti was not intended as a racial slur and that he regrets the incident.

Montgomery County Police and detectives from the Gaithersburg Police charged Sebastian Espinoza-Carranza, 18, of Gaithersburg, with the April 7 vandalism. More teenage suspects are being sought in the case, authorities say.

In that case, police termed the actions a hate crime.

SEE ALSO:

• ‘I‘m Not a Racist’: Synagogue Vandalism Suspect
• UPDATE: Mother Says Son Arrested in Synagogue Vandalism Regrets Actions
• Suspects Who Painted Swastikas on Synagogue Captured on Camera