Detectives with the Clayton Police Department are investigating three suspicious vehicle fires as a targeted hate crime. The cars were set ablaze early Tuesday morning, Aug. 5, and antisemitic graffiti was found written in the roadway nearby. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue, a residential street just off North Hanley Road.
Responding officers found all three vehicles damaged by fire. Antisemitic graffiti discovered in the roadway prompted investigators to classify the incident as a hate crime. While no injuries were reported, police said in a statement that the victim, a Clayton resident, appears to have been specifically targeted.
According to authorities, there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the broader community. The FBI and the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit have been called in to assist with the investigation.
Jewish Federation leads joint response to incident
In a joint statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Jewish Federation President and CEO Danny Cohn called the incident more than vandalism, describing it as a hateful act of intimidation and a consequence of rising antisemitism.
“When hateful words targeting Jews or Israel go unchecked—whether on social media or at public events—they embolden individuals to act,” the statement reads. “What started as rhetoric is increasingly escalating into threats and violence against our Jewish community.”
The statement was issued collectively by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Heartland, American Jewish Committee (AJC) St. Louis, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of St. Louis, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) St. Louis and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.
Cohn said the Federation’s Community Security Team is working closely with law enforcement and is providing support to those directly affected.
“We are a resilient community, but we cannot fight antisemitism alone,” he continued. “We urge civic and community leaders to join us in speaking out clearly and forcefully against antisemitism in all its forms.”
The identity of the targeted individual has not been released.
Today, we released the following statement in conjunction with our Jewish communal partners at @jcrcstl, @JewishFedSTL, @NCJWSTL, @SaintLouisHM, & AJC St. Louis, about @ClaytonMOPD ‘s investigation into a suspicious fire & antisemitic graffiti.https://t.co/e7ATfFNbaV pic.twitter.com/uqbbZTlfDy
— ADL Heartland (@ADLHeartland) August 5, 2025
Investigation remains active
Police have not shared the contents of the graffiti or information on potential suspects. No arrests have been made as of Tuesday evening.
The Clayton Police Department said it is pursuing every lead to ensure the individual responsible is held accountable. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is urged to contact the Detective Bureau at 314-290-8414.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation.
| RELATED: Two arrested after antisemitic graffiti found at Clayton elementary school
