A fire “intentionally” started by a mentally ill man that destroyed a synagogue and restaurant in Fort Lauderdale last month was not considered a hate crime by Broward prosecutors. However, a charge of arson was officially filed on Wednesday.
On March 16, Scott Hannaford set Rabbi Chaim Slavaticki’s car on fire near the Las Olas Chabad Jewish Center, the Broward District Attorney’s Office said. It quickly spread to the synagogue and the Friendship Grill inside.
Hannaford, 50, tried to set fire to the adjacent Kavasutra Kava Bar ten minutes earlier, the prosecutor’s office said.
Broward prosecutors say attempted arson at a non-religious location was a key factor in determining why there was no hate crime enhancement, which would have extended the already lengthy prison sentence Hannaford may be facing.
Hannaford was charged with first- and second-degree arson, third-degree criminal offenses involving a synagogue or place of worship, and third-degree possession of cocaine.
“Our commitment to combating hate crimes is steadfast and vigorously pursuing these heinous and serious crimes is a top priority for me and the Broward State Attorney’s Office,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement. “If there is evidence to support a hate crime, we will file it.”
If convicted of the four charges, Hannaford faces up to 65 years in prison.
As of Wednesday, he was still being held in the Broward jail on $102,000 bond.
“During my meeting with the rabbi this week, I assured him, his congregation and our entire Broward community that together we will continue to stand against hate,” Pryor said.
