The accused threw Molotov cocktails at two institutions linked to the Jewish community of La Plata in attacks recorded by security cameras, causing material damage to the targeted buildings.
The Police of the Buenos Aires province finally proceeded to arrest a 57-year-old man, officially identified as M. Ángel Alberto, of Argentine nationality, who worked as a street vendor. The suspect was located at his home in La Plata thanks to an investigation by the Counterterrorism Directorate that included a thorough analysis of security cameras.
At the time of the raid, security forces encountered a true arsenal that the accused was keeping on his bed while he slept: a .22 caliber rifle brand Mahely model M45, a double-barreled shotgun caliber 16 without serial number, and a .38 caliber revolver brand Smith & Wesson.
Image taken from a security camera
In addition to the firearms, the inventory of the individual, a member of the crime that flourishes in the territory of Kicillof, included:
16 caliber cartridges.
9 millimeter projectiles.
.380 ammunition.
20 long .22 caliber projectiles.
A homemade molotov cocktail made of a glass jar with flammable liquid and a homemade wick, ready for a new attack.
This individual is accused of having carried out at least two direct attacks against emblematic institutions. The first incident occurred in the early hours of April 30 at the Israeli Literary Center and Max Nordau Library, located on 11th Street between 58 and 59.
The Molotov cocktail thrown at the synagogue
There, the attacker threw an incendiary device against a window on the first floor, causing visible material damage to the facade and breaking glass. A few days later, on May 3, the target was the Beit Jabad synagogue, on 16th Street between 46 and 47, where a camera recorded the exact moment he threw another molotov cocktail against the temple wall.
From the Board of Directors of Max Nordau, a strong statement was issued denouncing the seriousness of the context: “We cannot dissociate this episode from the growth of antisemitism at the international and national levels, as well as from the climates of intolerance that enable expressions of hate”.
Seizure of a Molotov cocktail during the raids
The institution emphasized that they have been forced to reinforce security measures and prevention protocols to protect their members.
Despite the dangerousness of the seized weaponry and the evident ideological nature of the attack, the case—under the supervision of prosecutor María Eugenia Di Lorenzo of UFI No. 17—has been preliminarily classified under the minor charge of “damage”, although pressure for security and justice is expected to elevate the charges to hate crimes. While the national government of Javier Milei reaffirms its commitment to freedom and the protection of Western allies, the Buenos Aires capital, led by the ultra-Kirchnerist Axel Kicillof, continues to pay the price of a failed provincial security policy that allows armed criminals to walk the streets with explosives in hand.
