HATE LETTERS, NEEDLES LEAD TO CHARGES.

Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer

A 64-year-old man was charged Monday with sending hate-filled letters - many of them containing hypodermic needles - to dozens of local victims, including the Los Angeles Police Department chief, officials said.

Stanley Jaroszenski of Los Angeles was being held without bail on 117 counts of mailing threatening communications and injurious articles. The federal indictment accuses Jaroszenski of sending 56 threatening letters, including 52 containing needles. Thirty-two of them have anti-Semitic language and racial epithets written on the outside, according to the indictment.

The needles all had caps on them, and all but one appeared to be unused, officials said.

Recipients ranged included LAPD Chief William Bratton, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood, as well as synagogues, organizations and other individuals throughout the Los Angeles area.

``This sends the message to the community that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, and law enforcement takes it seriously,'' said Amanda Susskind, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. ``And it's a great comfort to the victims knowing that a person has been brought to justice and taken off the streets.''

Most of the letters were sent in February through April, although the first one, addressed to Sanchez's district office in Lakewood, dates back to June 24, 2004. Sanchez's office was evacuated after arrival of the letter, which warned of a CIA plot to kill the congresswoman.

Jaroszenski was arrested in 2003 and charged with threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction after an elementary school received a threatening letter. He was subsequently acquitted.

Josh Kleinbaum, [phone]

josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com