Nicholas Rose, 26, is accused of making “kill lists” of prominent members of the Jewish community. Image by Orange County Police Department

By Aiden Pink April 22, 2018

A southern California man has been charged with hate crimes after prosecutors say he had “kill lists” of prominent members of the Jewish community in his home.

Nicholas Wesley Rose, 26, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to making criminal threats and violating civil rights, with hate crime enhancements.

A family member had called the police on Monday and reported that Rose wanted to kill others, specifically mentioning Jews, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said.

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Police arrested him on Tuesday after allegedly finding .22-caliber ammunition, “kill lists” of prominent local Jews (including well-known members of the entertainment industry), a set of steps in a list called “killing my first Jew,” and references to local houses of worship, including a synagogue.

“From his writings it’s hard tell exactly what direction he’s going in or who he was angry with,” prosecutor Jeff Moore told the Orange County Register. “He was apparently displeased with some churches that he thought were sympathetic to the Jewish cause.”

Rose faces up to 6 1/2 years in prison. His next court appearance is Friday.

Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink

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