STATEMENT FROM CHABAD OF NAPLES - November 16, 2017
Chabad of Naples was notified that the alleged perpetrator of a break-in and burglary crime that occurred on October 18, 2017 at our Chabad Naples Center has been apprehended and arrested by law enforcement. We are very grateful for Naples' law enforcement meticulous response to this unfortunate incident and commend them for a thorough investigation and follow-up that will hopefully result in bringing the alleged perpetrator of this crime to justice.
For those in our community who are unaware of the original incident, we are now able to shed some light on what occurred during the nighttime hours of Wednesday, October 18. On early Thursday morning, October 19, we discovered that our administrative office at the Preschool was burglarized and ransacked the night before. We are also sorry to share that we found highly-offensive anti-Semitic writing at that the scene of the crime. We immediately alerted the police about the break-in and have been working closely with detectives ever since. We followed the law enforcement team's lead in keeping this incident out of the public eye so as not to interrupt the ongoing investigation.
While the burglar left a significant amount of damage to various office systems, please rest assured that none of our community's private or confidential information was compromised at any point. We are also very grateful that no one was physically hurt from this crime and that all the property lost is replaceable.
Chabad Naples benefits from a strong onsite security presence during the day, as well as a 24-hour video monitoring system. Our video cameras were able to record critical footage of the perpetrator in the act, which was vital in helping police apprehend the criminal.
This entire episode, though very distressing, has no precedent since Chabad was established in Naples in 2003. Still, our community's safety and security continue to be our number one priority. Though we already have a strong system in place, we have worked with our security team and have consulted with security experts to determine if there are any specific areas in which we can improve which we are providing, and we will continue to remain proactive and vigilant in protecting our community.
Chabad Naples would like to publicly thank our incredible Naples' law enforcement teams and public officials for their strong and supportive response to this incident. We are so grateful that the alleged perpetrator has been caught and that we can now have some closure to this unfortunate event. We also appreciate the outpouring of love and support from our community and friends who stand behind us through thick and thin.
Chabad of Naples has spent the last fourteen years spreading light and love to our community. Our response to any negative incidents will always be to spread even more light and more love to those around us, and we hope that this message will inspire every member of our community to increase in acts of goodness and kindness to their fellow man.
While this recent event is upsetting both in its violating nature and in its anti-Semitic undertones, we choose to respond with strength and resilience.