Akron,
Ohio – a woman is accused of scratching several windows and damaging other
parts of a West Akron synagogue.
Willa
Boyd, 54, of Akron, is charged with fifth-degree felony vandalism and
misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in Akron
Municipal Court. Her initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Boyd
is accused of damaging at least five windows at the Shaw Jewish Community
Center on White Pond Drive, which includes the Beth El Synagogue and the
Lippman School.
She
is also accused of ripping the door off a Sukkah, a tent used for the religious
holiday Sukkot, and causing a one-foot crack in one of the walls.
Boyd
also ripped out several plants in front of the synagogue, according to police.
The glass Boyd is accused of damaging protects decades-old stained glass
windows.
The
protective windows will need to be replaced, Beth El Rabbi Stephen Grundfast
told investigators, according to police reports. Grundfast declined to speak
with a reporter about the incident on Wednesday.
Two
construction workers who saw the incident about 3 p.m. Tuesday alerted an
off-duty police officer working security at the center, police reports say.
The
officer saw Boyd with a rock the size of a fist scratching windows on the
building, according to police. The officer noted it appeared Boyd “was
having a mental breakdown,” according to police reports.
The
officer ordered Boyd to drop the rock, but she refused, police reports say.
Boyd told the officer that “she was doing her father’s work” and
started bashing the windows again, police reports say.
The
officer grabbed Boyd by the arms and pulled her away from the building, police
reports say. He ordered her to drop the rock, but she refused and started
fighting with the officer, according to police reports.
