Los Angeles police are investigating the vandalism of a Brentwood home as a possible hate crime. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News on Nov. 24, 2023.
A group of demonstrators were captured on camera setting off smoke devices and throwing what appeared to be red paint on the driveway of a Brentwood home that belongs to the president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Michael Tuchin, a Los Angeles attorney and AIPAC president, had his home vandalized Thanksgiving morning. Protesters pounded pots in the driveway of his home and held a sign that read, “F**k your holiday, baby killer.”
“When I realized they were attacking the private property of my neighbor, I decided to go and try to stop them,” said one of Tuchin’s neighbors, who did not want to be named.
According to the neighbor, he went into the group to try to stop them from defacing Tuchins home. He said as a Jew, he felt compelled to stand up to the demonstrators.
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“They put red paint on the car, on the driveway, on the windows,” the neighbor said. “They were terrorizing our neighbor.”
A confrontation ensued between the group and neighbor, who said he was hit from behind with a steel pole. Video captured a man swinging a flag at the group during the incident.
Eventually, police officers arrived and made the demonstrators turn around and march down the street.
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The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. The Tuchins said they are grateful for the support they’ve received in light of the vandalism.
