CARMICHAEL, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office arrested a man Wednesday in connection with a series of hate crimes in Carmichael in October.
Nicholas Wayne Sherman is being accused of leaving racist symbols, messages and bags of rice in several locations around the city between Oct. 4 and Oct. 20, the sheriff's office said.
The 33-year-old is being charged with one felony count of desecrating a religious symbol after plastering Adolf Hitler posters across a menorah in front of the synagogue. Sherman also received 12 additional misdemeanor counts of terrorism, according to a press release.
Posters with similar themes were also left at the doorsteps of residential homes — including one at Deterding Elementary School that earned Sherman another misdemeanor count of terrorism.
“Let me be very clear, hate crimes against a member of any group in our community is an assault on all of us and will not be tolerated,” said District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert in a statement.
The Shalom Le Israel synagogue in Carmichael was the target of a hate crime on Oct. 20, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
"It rattles you quite a bit"
Neighbors said they were shocked to find bags of white rice with swastikas on their doorsteps in October.
"You feel violated. First, someone's coming up your driveway and specifically putting something on your porch. We didn't know if we were being targeted or any of our neighbors," said a neighbor who wanted to stay anonymous.
That same neighbor said this isn't the first time she's dealt with this. Several years ago, a similar incident happened to her in Carmichael.
"Every house along the side of our street had a newspaper put on their driveway, which was The Insurgent, which was another neo-Nazi pamphlet that was put out."
Andrew Garcia, whose home was also targeted has been living in the neighborhood with his wife Brooke for nearly three years. He says despite what took place, he doesn't feel any less safe.
"It's just annoying," he said. "It's just a disruption to the day because at the end of the day I've been dealing with this my whole life, and at some point, you become callous to it."
Their next door neighbor Ala Isac received one of the bags as well. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but said she was shocked and scared when she found out.
"Like it's not safe anymore, you know," Isac said.
Now, with the arrest of Sherman, neighbors ABC10 spoke with say they are breathing a sigh of relief.
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