A San Diego resident who allegedly vandalized places of worship, as well as a religious altar at a private residence, pleaded not guilty Thursday to felony and misdemeanor charges.
Erdem Onder, 47, is accused of spray-painting two churches and a synagogue – University Christian Church in Hillcrest and St. Paul’s Cathedral and Ohr Shalom Synagogue, both in Bankers Hill – with profane messages in January and February of this year.
Onder also is accused of dousing a religious altar outside a person’s home with alcohol and attempting to set it ablaze last December, though the attempt was unsuccessful, according to Deputy District Attorney Mei Owen.
The prosecutor said Onder returned to the same home a month later and vandalized several religious statues at the residence.
Onder is accused of vandalizing both St. Paul’s Cathedral and Ohr Shalom Synagogue on two separate occasions.
Onder faces up to 13 years in state prison if convicted of all charges, which include interference with civil rights, vandalism of religious property for intimidation and arson.
The prosecutor did not say what led police to suspect Onder was responsible, nor a motive for allegedly targeting those locations.
Onder was booked into county jail on Monday on $250,000 bail. A judge reduced the defendant’s bail to $200,000 during Thursday’s arraignment, but a bail review hearing was scheduled for later this month.
