VANDALS DAMAGE MENORAH AGAIN.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer

STEVENSON RANCH -- A community menorah in Stevenson Ranch, still on display a week after Hanukkah ended, was vandalized a third time.

The county is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

``Any time a religious symbol of any faith is desecrated or destroyed, that is not an act of love; it's clearly a hate crime,'' said Tony Bell, spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. ``The supervisor feels strongly the crime needs to be solved because of the negative impact on our community (and is) sending the message this sort of crime will not be tolerated in any of our county communities.''

The 7-foot-high electric candelabrum, perched on a grassy area along the community's main drag until it was taken down Dec. 29, was fixed twice after vandals mangled it Dec. 22 and 23, the last night of Hanukkah. The misshapen menorah had been trampled and bent, its bulbs broken.

Damage from the first two incidents was estimated at roughly $210. On Dec. 29, the menorah, owned by the Stevenson Ranch Community Association and valued at about $900, was hit again.

The reward is the same one levied for homicide suspects. Bell said the county does not put a price on the amount of ``malice'' committed.

``A hate crime is an affront to the community and we intend to invoke the public's participation to identify and prosecute the perpetrator,'' he said.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in about 165 B.C. Jews light candles in nine-branch menorahs to remember the miracle of a single jar of oil that burned for eight days.

The Sheriff's Department is conducting an investigation but hesitates to call the vandalism a hate crime. On Dec. 27 deputies said it appeared to be more than simple vandalism, and began investigating it as a hate incident.

``Without talking to the person or persons involved we don't know what their motivation is, whether it was based on the fact it was a holiday decoration that happened to be there or if it was directed at people of the Jewish faith and their celebration of Hanukkah,'' said sheriff's Lt. Mike Dunkle.

``That would be a determining factor, whether it's suspicion of a hate crime or whether it was motivated by hate.''

The detective handling the case said the department generally receives dozens of complaints each year from residents whose Christmas decorations have been stolen or trashed. The case is unique because it involves a publicly displayed menorah, and because it was vandalized three times, said Detective Dennis Blackstock.

An evergreen less than 20 feet from the menorah, which is strung with lights each Christmas and serves as a community Christmas tree, was not harmed.

On Friday, soap was poured into a decorative fountain across from the holiday display, located at the corner of Holmes Place and Stevenson Ranch Parkway, and detectives are hopeful surveillance cameras installed to discourage pranks and catch vandals might yield clues. Burbank-based Sky Security Services also patrols the area owned by the homeowners association around the clock. The fountain gets ``soaped'' several times a year.

Dave Bossert, president of the West Ranch Town Council, serves as year-round custodian for the menorah. He is not Jewish, but family members are, so the Bossert clan lights two candles the first night of Hanukkah.

``Saturday morning I removed it from the corner and put it in safe place where it's not going to be touched,'' he said. ``The only fingerprints that should be on the menorah are mine. The last time the menorah was vandalized they had to grab hold of the metal candles and bend them down, which required effort.''

A number of small property crimes were committed in the vicinity -- also at night -- during the same time period, said Lt. Brenda Cambra. There were no witnesses and the suspects are unknown.

Temple Beth Ami shares responsibility for the menorah with the homeowners group, and its congregants take turns lighting the electric candles during the eight-day holiday. They are looking forward to next year.

Anyone with information on the crime should contact Lt. Mike Dunkle at [phone].

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