Man charged with hate crime for vandalizing Islamic center at Rutgers, prosecutors say

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A man accused of vandalizing an Islamic center at New Jersey’s flagship university on the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Fitr has been charged with a hate crime. Federal prosecutors made the announcement Monday. Jacob Beacher faces single counts of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and making false statements to federal authorities. The 24-year-old North Plainfield man was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday afternoon. He was being represented by the federal public defender’s office, which does not comment on cases. The charges stem from an April 10 break-in at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.