Oxford police: Three Miami University students charged in vandalism of Jewish structure

Three Miami University students are facing charges after a structure commemorating a Jewish holiday was damaged at a campus organization on Oct. 15.

In a statement issued Thursday, Oxford police said the three suspects who came forward in the incident are each charged with felony vandalism. The students were identified as Kevin Ladriere, 20; Eli Lauger, 20; and Santiago Arenas, 19.

Hillel at Miami University posted surveillance video on social media showing the incident where its sukkah was flipped on its side. A sukkah is a temporary structure erected to commemorate the Jewish festival Sukkot each fall.

Investigators said they determined there was no religious bias involved because the men were not aware of its significance to Judaism.

"While the suspects in this case did not understand that they were damaging a religious symbol, the effects were felt by the Jewish community," the statement reads.

Sukkot, also known as the Harvest Festival, was Oct. 9 through 16 this year. It celebrates the blessings bestowed on the Israelites after escaping slavery. The sukkah represents the shelters in which they lived while wandering the desert thereafter.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Students charged Hillel at Miami University sukkah vandalism