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Police: Gainesville man vandalized Jewish centers, wrote 'burn in hell'

The Gainesville Police Department is located at 545 NW Eight Ave. The department is awaiting new technology to help investigators match spent shell casings collected at gun-related crime scenes. (Joaquin Cabrera/WUFT News)
The Gainesville Police Department is located at 545 NW Eight Ave. The department is awaiting new technology to help investigators match spent shell casings collected at gun-related crime scenes. (Joaquin Cabrera/WUFT News)

Police said Friday they arrested a 50-year-old Gainesville man accused of vandalizing the Chabad Jewish Student Center on the University of Florida campus with hate speech such as “burn in hell” and leaving disturbed messages with other Jewish organizations. 

Police said they traced the phone number and email used to leave the messages to Geoffrey Alan Lush, who lives in an apartment complex across the street and east from UF’s campus. He was immediately banned from any UF property. Lush was being held in the county jail in lieu of a $150,000 bond.

The University of Florida Hillel reported receiving a threatening voicemail on Nov. 23 telling the center to “burn in the fires of hell for eternity.” Investigators discovered other religious centers received similar voicemails and emails on the same day 

Similarly, members of the religious centers discovered vandalized items on the morning of Nov. 24. Surveillance footage from one of the buildings showed a tall adult in a long trench coat with light-colored hair to his shoulders vandalizing three locations at 5:58 a.m. and walking back east minutes later, police said.

Other vandalized parts of the building included the sidewalk, where a Star of David had been drawn with the phrase “David had D no star.” Police found Lush’s social media platforms where he expressed beliefs similar to the writings at the Jewish Centers and allegedly described other acts of vandalism he performed on Nov. 24. 

Lush is in custody on initial felony complaints of written threats to kill or injure and criminal mischief at a place of worship. If convicted, he could face anywhere from five to 15 years in prison. 

Anti-Semitic attacks and vandalizing crimes have been on the rise on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Police have investigated several incidents on UF's campus of pro-Israel flags being vandalized.

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This is a breaking news story. Check back for further developments. Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org

Vivienne is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.