Brookline Resident Charged In Connection With Vandalism Incident At Jewish Deli: Report

BROOKLINE, MA — A woman is facing criminal charges after police alleged she placed a pro-Palestinian sticker on the front window of a Jewish deli earlier this year, according to a report from Brookline.News.

Susan E-Hornfeldt, 80, who has also publicly used the names Susan Etscovitz and Susan Hornfeldt, is charged with defacing or damaging property.

Brookline police identified E-Hornfeldt after reviewing surveillance footage that allegedly showed a woman placing a "Free Palestine" sticker on the front window of Michael's Deli before driving away in a blue Subaru. Detectives reportedly used Registry of Motor Vehicles records and the town's traffic camera system to identify the vehicle's registered owner before interviewing E-Hornfeldt at her home. Police wrote that E-Hornfeldt said she would "talk to her people" to ensure "it did not happen again," though she did not directly admit to placing the sticker.

The incident occurred weeks after Michael's Deli owner Steven Peljovich reported another act of vandalism at the business. In that case, a sticker reading "End the Israeli occupation of Palestine" was placed over a photo of his family displayed outside the deli. Peljovich previously said approximately 40 acts of vandalism had targeted the business since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023. Brookline police subsequently opened an investigation into the incidents.

Michael's Deli was founded in Marblehead in 1977 before relocating to Brookline in 2002. Peljovich purchased the business in 2012 and has operated it ever since. He previously said he believes the deli has been singled out because it is openly Jewish-owned and displays a "Proudly Jewish" sign outside the storefront alongside an Israeli flag inside.

E-Hornfeldt is reportedly a familiar presence in Coolidge Corner through regular pro-Palestinian demonstrations. She previously identified herself as a member of the leadership council of Jewish Voice for Peace Boston.

The charge comes more than a year after another Jewish business in Brookline was targeted when suspects threw a brick bearing the words "Free Palestine" through the front window of The Butcherie, a kosher grocery store on Harvard Street. Brookline police investigated that incident as a hate crime after the brick struck a window displaying a map of Israel. No arrests have been announced in that case.

E-Hornfeldt is scheduled to be arraigned in Brookline District Court on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Read more at Brookline.News.

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