(KRON) — Alameda County jurors convicted a man who torched a Jewish mezuzah scroll at a religious center in Berkeley, prosecutors said. The jury found David William Denton, 45, guilty of arson Tuesday.
His conviction stems from an incident on February 6, when Denton used a pocket torch to vandalize and burn a scroll that was affixed to the doorway of a religious study center on Bancroft Way, according to prosecutors.
District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said, “Targeting and burning a sacred religious symbol is an act that can cause harm far beyond the physical damage itself. People of every faith should be able to practice their religion and gather in their communities without fear of intimidation.”…