Police in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, announced this morning (Monday) that they arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of beating a 68-year-old Jew outside a synagogue in the city and calling him derogatory names. Following the incident, the victim of the attack was admitted to the hospital.
According to a police statement, the incident took place on Saturday at noon in the north of the city, when an elderly Jew left prayers at the local synagogue. The suspect, Trevor Rodney, violently beat the Jew and called him names, until a passerby noticed what was going on and told Rodney to stop, at which point he fled the scene.
Eyewitnesses called the police and reported the incident, claiming that the victim was attacked "because he was Jewish". The victim was able to return to the synagogue, and security personnel traced the perpetrator until police arrived and arrested him.
In his investigation, Rodney claimed that the two walked towards each other in the street, and that "I had to dance in circles to avoid running into him." He also claimed that "a blue cloud appeared over the head" of the victim, and said that he was afraid that the victim would "eat his face."