BEXLEY, Ohio — The Bexley Police Department arrested a man on Monday after they said he made antisemetic remarks and committed criminal trespass at two homes in the city on Sunday.
Debbie Meyer, a lifelong Bexley resident, said she proudly put her Israeli flag on display in her front yard a week ago to support her homeland.
"I wanted to do something in solidarity, so I put my Israeli flag up,” she said.
Meyer said a man rang her Ring doorbell while she was at home with her husband Sunday afternoon.
"I kind of leaned over to see who it was and I didn't really recognize him, it was a little uncomfortable so I went on my Ring,” Meyer said.
In the video, Meyer stated, "Hey, can I help you?"
The man waited a few moments, Meyer then said ‘Hello?’ Then the man asked, "Do I just talk into this? I've never used one of these,” in reference to the Ring doorbell.
Meyer then asked the man what could she help him with. The man then proceeds to make vulgar antisemitic statements, and ends by saying, “… disgusting.”
Meyer said she contacted the police immediately.
"He just casually walked down my driveway, got in his car and drove away,” Meyer said.
As she watched the video back, Meyer said she was still processing what happened.
"I'm a child of a survivor of the Holocaust, so this hits home really hard for me,” Meyer said.
Bexley police arrested the man at his home on Monday and he was taken to the Franklin County jail. 10TV is not naming the man charged at this time.
Police documents said the man's vehicle was identified during Sunday's incidents.
"It's just something that speaks so terribly of antisemitism,” Rabbi Avi Goldstein, of the Beth Jacob congregation, said.
Goldstein said Meyer called him shortly after this happened and sent him the video.
"It's just so shocking the language to verbally assault someone in their own home, someone you don't know,” Goldstein said.
As more than one thousand innocent men, women, and children have been killed by Hamas, Goldstein said supporting Israel is vital.
"It's critical that Americans are proud of Israel, and support Israel at this time,” Goldstein said.
"Israel has a right to exist. It is our homeland. It is where my family is my brothers my sisters and everything going there right now… has to be stopped,” Meyer said.
"People who are anti-terror, who value life, who value a culture of morality, they should all fly Israeli flags today,” Goldstein said.
Friends of the family say it's disappointing to hear that type of behavior happened here.
“I was disgusted as well something like that could happen here. We are fighting a war 6,000 miles away that something could happen here, in Bexley,” said mMeir Perlmuter.
Retired FBI agent Harry Trombitas says given the unrest in Israel, people should expect to see additional security, especially around synagogues.
“I think every law enforcement officer around the country wants to make sure that we do everything we can to keep people as safe and secure as possible and we are praying that we don't have these acts of violence,” Trombitas said.
While he says he isn't aware of any specific threats, there has been more reported antisemitism in the country.
“There has been an increase in chatter. I think the Anti-Defamation League itself said they have seen a 75% increase in anti-sematic reports around the country,” Trombitas said.
Which is why he says it is so important to report incidents like what happened in Bexley.
“It really comes down to you and I. If you hear something, if we see something, we have got to say it. We have to report it,” Trombitas said.