More than four months after an unknown arsonist burned three cars and left antisemitic graffiti in their wake, Clayton police announced yesterday an increased reward for information leading to an arrest.
The arson occurred late at night on August 5 on Westmoreland Avenue near Washington University. In addition to setting three cars ablaze, the unknown arsonist wrote on the street’s pavement in white paint “Death to the IDF” along with a message targeting a specific individual whose family lives on Westmoreland.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
The reward for information leading to an arrest has increased to $57,000, with four separate rewards offering different amounts with different stipulations.
It has come as some surprise that four months later, there is still no arrest. Houses in the neighborhood had a significant number of doorbell and other security cameras. That the suspect knew the name of a specific resident seemed to suggest some connection to the family targeted.
But Corporal Jenny Schwartz with Clayton Police says that while home security footage has been helpful, it has not been enough to fully identify the suspect. “Most folks that have surveillance systems on their property, they’re only focused on their property line, so if something happens in the street, they may not catch that,” she says.
However, Schwartz says that her department has reviewed countless hours of home security footage from the neighborhood, enabling them to release to the public images of a hooded suspect. Clayton police have determined from an exhaustive review of footage that the individual had been on Westmoreland previously, wearing different clothes but the same shoes. She says she can’t say how long before the attack the suspect was prowling around Westmoreland, as those are details the department is keeping close to the vest for now.
As for the potential connection between the arsonist and the targeted family, Schwartz says that is by no means a given. She says the attack was more on the family in general, not just the individual mentioned in the antisemitic graffiti. “The individual that was mentioned by name is known throughout the Jewish community, not just locally,” she said, noting that it’s possible the arsonists could be from out of town.
In the meantime, Clayton Police along with the FBI plan to conduct another canvass of the neighborhood and surrounding areas hoping to gather additional evidence. They also hope this new wave of publicity in the case will spur someone who knows something to come forward.
“Someone knows who this is, so we’re hoping that we’ll reach that person and they’ll decide to come forward and help us make sure this person is held accountable,” said Schwartz.
