The Clayton Police Department are asking for the public’s help as they work to solve a hate crime that shook a quiet neighborhood early Tuesday morning.
Around 3 a.m. on August 5, three vehicles were set on fire in the 7500 block of Westmoreland Avenue. Nearby, officers found antisemitic graffiti painted on the roadway — a discovery that led investigators to believe the attack was targeted. The FBI and the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit are now assisting.
Clayton police are urging anyone in the area to check their doorbell cameras, security systems, or dashcam footage between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. that morning. “Your surveillance system may be the key to identifying the individual or individuals responsible for this disturbing and targeted attack,” said Cpl. Jenny Schwartz.
If you have footage or information, contact the Clayton Police Detective Bureau at (314) 290-8414, or submit an anonymous tip through St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers — via the P3 Tips app, by calling (314) 725-8477 or 1-866-371-TIPS, or at www.stlrcs.org. Tips leading to an arrest may qualify for a reward.
Victim recently returned from IDF service
According to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), the targeted family’s cars — along with vehicles belonging to friends — were set ablaze just three days after the victim, a U.S. citizen who had served in the Israel Defense Forces, returned to the St. Louis area. JNS also reported that hateful graffiti outside the home accused him of being a murderer and called for “death to the IDF”.
Leo Terrell, chair of the U.S. Justice Department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, told JNS he reviewed graphic footage of the attack. “I saw hate because of one’s religion and I saw hate for an American who served as an IDF member in the Israeli army,” Terrell said, adding that he immediately contacted the FBI and ensured federal officials were involved.
Jewish community leaders, including the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, ADL Heartland, AJC St. Louis, JCRC of St. Louis, NCJW St. Louis and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, issued a joint statement condemning the attack and calling on the broader community to speak out against antisemitism. “We are a resilient community, but we cannot fight antisemitism alone,” said Jewish Federation President and CEO Danny Cohn.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, also weighed in on social media.
“Globalize the intifada” is a clear and unambiguous call to violence. Period. And we see what that threat looks like on American streets — in DC, in Boulder, and now in St. Louis.
It’s 2025. This cannot be acceptable in the US – or anywhere else.https://t.co/kvA7W289Wf
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) August 7, 2025
Police say the investigation is active and every lead is being pursued.
