Schodack Police have announced an arrest of a juvenile in connection to a weekend fire that was classified as a hate crime.
A 15-year-old male was arrested by Schodack Police and the New York State Police and charged with arson in the third degree, burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the second degree and seven counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree. Investigators say a detached garage at a home on Cold Spring Avenue went up in flames late Sunday night. No one was hurt, but firefighters found a spray-painted swastika and a "racial comment" on the structure, according to Schodack Police Chief Joseph Belardo.
Due to the age of the suspect, the charges -- all felony charges -- can not be designated as hate crimes under penal law. In a press release, the Schodack police said they still considered the incident "to be a hate crime because of the circumstances."