Man arrested for hate-fuelled arson outside Jewish Museum in Baltimore – possible detention without bail

Burn marks in front of the Jewish Museum of Maryland on August 5, 2024. Photo: Screenshot

Baltimore police said Saturday they had arrested a man suspected of committing a hate crime for setting fire to the Jewish Museum of Maryland earlier this month.

According to the police report, the suspect, 66-year-old Assadollah Hashemi, has a history of criminal charges for arson. SWAT officers from the Baltimore Police Department arrested Hashemi at his home on Saturday and took him into custody without incident.

Hashemi was charged with attempted arson and attempted arson for setting a fire outside the main entrance of the Jewish Museum of Maryland late in the evening of Aug. 4. Security camera footage showed a person arriving in front of the museum in a vehicle, placing something on the ground outside the museum's entrance, lighting the item on fire, and then driving away in the vehicle. The museum said Baltimore Fire Department personnel arrived 20 minutes later and extinguished the fire. Local and federal authorities have joined forces to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

Hashemi's neighbors in the apartment building where he lives told WBAL-TV 11 he was allegedly involved in at least two fire incidents in their building. During his court hearing in Baltimore on Monday, it was revealed that Hashemi suffers from bipolar disorder and has refused psychiatric treatment, according to the Baltimore news station. The court also heard he was responsible for setting a dumpster on fire on July 24. Questioning his competency to stand trial, the judge ordered Hashemi to be medically examined by a doctor and denied the suspect bail pending the results of the investigation.

The Jewish Museum of Maryland has been closed for renovations for the past year, but the museum's executive director, Dr. Sol Davis, said last week that construction on the museum is nearly complete. Commenting on the “disturbing” arson attack and the museum's upcoming reopening, David said, “As we live through this moment, we are preparing to reopen the museum's doors in the coming months with an abundance of Jewish joy, ritual, reflection, art, history and connection.”

The Jewish Museum of Maryland is located between two historic synagogues on Lloyd Street in Baltimore: the Lloyd Street Synagogue and the B'nai Israel Congregation. The latter is the only active synagogue in East Baltimore/Downtown. The August 4 fire was set outside the museum, but also right next to the B'nai Israel Synagogue, which reportedly shares a security gate to the south of the museum.