A Florida homeless man has been arrested for setting fire to a Jewish community center in Ft. Lauderdale. While the motive of the suspect is not yet known, his alleged actions come as concerns about rising antisemitism in America have been prevalent in national discourse.

The arson occurred just hours before services were scheduled to take place at the facility.

Fort Lauderdale Police told CBS News Miami that 51-year-old Scott Hannaford, who they stated is a transient resident of Fort Lauderdale, was arrested and charged with two counts of arsons, criminal mischief and possession of cocaine.

Around 7:21 a.m., FLPD responded to the 1300 block of East Las Olas Boulevard about a vehicle fire causing damage to a nearby Jewish Center, prompting arson investigators to look into the incident. It was then determined that the fire was set intentionally, FLPD stated.

The person responsible — who was quickly identified as Hannaford — was found and taken into custody within hours of the incident. He was then booked in the BSO Main Jail.

According to reports, the fire was initially set in a van belonging to the center’s rabbi. It quickly spread to the building itself, causing extensive damage. Ft. Lauderdale Fire Rescue indicated that “the fire began in a vehicle next to the building and it then extended into the building.”

The kitchen was completely destroyed, with the rest of the facility being engulfed in smoke damage.

However, Rabbi Chaim Slavaticki, who runs the center, remained in good spirits. “This is a hug from God and God is telling us all stand together and we always have to at times like this to turn back to our prayer books, turn back to God,” he said after realizing the fire had not consumed his prayer book.

Hannaford was swiftly arrested after the incident. He is being charged with first and second-degree arson, among other crimes. He is known to suffer from mental illness and had previously trespassed at the property. The rabbi reported seeing him on several occasions.

The authorities have not labeled the incident as a hate crime, and Hannaford’s motive is unknown at the moment. However, it does come amid a national rise in antisemitic hate crimes that spiked after the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

While it is not apparent whether Hannaford was motivated by anti-Jewish bigotry, this incident serves as a reminder that there are still plenty of others who harbor animus against the Jewish people. In December, there were almost 200 bomb threats against synagogues in the United States in one weekend.

The threats may be a continuation of incidents that took place throughout New York City recently. Earlier this month, 15 synagogues in and around the New York City area, and several in other parts of the state received bomb threats. Fortunately, all the facilities were swept by law enforcement and there were no injuries or damage. But it appears that antisemitic violence has gone nationwide. West of Boston in Northampton Massachusetts, the Beit Ahavah synagogue received a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax as several other Jewish places of worship were also targeted there. In Roswell, Georgia, police were investigating an email that was sent to two synagogues detailing bomb threats. The Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson Mississippi canceled events scheduled for Sunday morning after a threat was received. Earlier in the week, other area synagogues had received threats.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, it will likely inspire other acts such as this. While law enforcement is trying to root out the individuals engaging in this activity, it is clear that these thugs aren’t going to stop anytime soon.