Suspected Miami Beach synagogue vandal caught after going missing
.jpg "Maximo de la Cruz-de Jesus")
A man suspected of vandalizing a Miami Beach synagogue who later escaped from a halfway house was caught again Thursday, Miami police said.
An unidentified passerby flagged down a police officer Thursday afternoon to point out a man who matched the description of Maximo de la Cruz-de Jesus.
The officers approached the man, checked his identity and arrested him once they confirmed it was the 43-year-old de la Cruz-de Jesus.
A day earlier, de la Cruz-de Jesus was reported missing from a halfway house where he was sent — over prosecutors’ objections — after being charged with criminal mischief at a place of holy worship.
He is accused of defacing a banner in front of Temple Emanu-el with a swastika and the letters “KKK.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Suspected Miami Beach synagogue vandal caught after going missing."