A 24-year-old New Jersey man was charged with a federal hate crime on Monday for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick, New Jersey and destroying property, according to the Department of Justice. 

A DOJ release said Jacob Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m. on April 10 during the Ed-al-Fatir holiday where he damaged several religious artifacts such as Turbah prayer stones and numerous other items that contained holy language from the Qur'an. 

The complaint also alleged that Beacher stole a Palestinian flag and a charity box belonging to the CILRU. 

Rutgers condemns the incident

Rutgers University told the Jerusalem Post "Rutgers condemns this act of violence against the Rutgers–New Brunswick Muslim community and the desecration of a religious and community space. Such acts of hatred and bigotry against anyone in our community have no place at Rutgers. We abhor all forms of intolerance based on religion, national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or political views. 
ON CAMPUS at Rutgers University. (credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
ON CAMPUS at Rutgers University. (credit: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
"The university takes seriously every claim of bias, intolerance, and hate. Rutgers has policies in place for reporting and investigating bias incidents, including bias prevention and reporting procedures at Rutgers-New Brunswick. When bias incidents are reported, we investigate them fully and take appropriate action, including working with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies when situations warrant to pursue thorough investigations and ensure the safety of Rutgers community members. "