Grapevine

US man pleads guilty to trashing Islamic centre at New Jersey university

Jacob Beacher vandalised property at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University during Eid al-Fitr holiday.

A man in the United States has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime after breaking into an Islamic student centre at a university in the state of New Jersey.

Jacob Beacher, 24, broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in April and damaged property at the scene, including several religious artefacts, the US Department of Justice said on Thursday.

Beacher also stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box at the centre, the DOJ said.

Video surveillance footage showed Beacher approaching the centre shortly after 2:30am on April 10, before an intruder later determined to be Beacher forcibly entered the centre through its back door, according to court documents.