Bedford Teen, Man Spray Painted Racist Graffiti: Police

BEDFORD, MA — A Bedford man and a teenager wee found responsible for racist and anti-semitic graffiti that was sprayed on several businesses over the weekend of April 5th. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Bedford Chief of Police Robert Bongiorno confirmed the pair were responsible on Wednesday.

The Middlesex DA and Bedford police decided instead of criminal charges, the pair will have to complete the DA's Juvenile and Young Adult Diversion Program which will include participation in Communities for Restorative Justice. If they fail to complete any of the requirements of their diversion program they could be subject to criminal vandalism charges.

Officials said the program will commence when public health guidelines allow.

DA Ryan said the program will help start the healing process for the community,"It will allow many of those affected parties to come to the table to begin the process of healing," Ryan said.

The graffiti included swastikas and "male genitalia and anti-Semitic and lewd language that had been spray painted on the building." The graffiti was painted along the back of a private building at Great Road Shopping Center, and on a storage shed at Shawsheen Cemetery.

Police caught the pair using surveillance footage from the area.

“There aren't words strong enough to reflect the Town’s disappointment and sadness over this incident, There is simply no room for antisemitism or hate in Bedford,” Town Manager Sarah Stanton said.

Rabbi Susan Abramson of Temple Shalom Emeth in Burlington and a Bedford residentacknowledged and thanked town officials for their swift response.

"The Bedford Jewish community appreciates the swift response from the District Attorney’s Office and Bedford Police. We support the use of diversion in this case and look forward to participating in this process to educate both the offenders and the community in a way that will shine a light on the impacts hateful speech can have on the everyday lives of our friends and neighbors. We hope that this incident highlights the need for us to remain vigilant and engaged in our communities so that we can work towards permanently eradicating these types of incidents from our wonderful community.”