Overview
- A jury found 45-year-old David William Denton guilty of arson for setting fire to a mezuzah attached to the entrance of UC Berkeley’s Hillel earlier this year.
- Prosecutors say the attack damaged the paper scroll inside the mezuzah while students were inside observing Shabbat and a security guard witnessed the act.
- Reports differ on the ignition tool used, with some accounts saying a pocket torch and others saying a cigarette lighter, but the discrepancy did not affect the guilty verdict.
- A judge ordered Denton held pending sentencing, prosecutors say he faces up to three years in state prison and would be required to register as an arson offender if sentenced.
- Officials emphasized the symbolic harm of damaging a sacred object, the damaged mezuzah was replaced the next day, and the case has heightened concern about safety for campus worshippers.