A Houston woman accused of breaking into synagogue, threatening officials on social media…
A Houston woman accused of breaking into synagogue, threatening officials on social media and spilling wine on the Torah, is facing felony charges.
Ezra Law, 33, is facing a felony count of criminal mischief and was denied bond.
Police were dispatched to a burglary around 8 a.m. Jan. 14 at Temple Emanu El. Law is accused of breaking in by smashing a window. She was found lying down in the synagogue’s pulpit wearing a robe belonging to a Rabbi with wine spilled on it, according to Joe Stinebaker, communications director for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. There was also an open Torah with wine spilled on it and religious items had also been moved from their respective areas onto the floor.
HARDING STREET RAID: Gerald Goines’ lawyers vying to have Harding Street case dismissed or moved out of Harris County
Police had Law remove the robe and she was detained, Stinebaker said.
On social media, she posted saying she is a messianic Jew.
“I admit I got drunk and spilt red wine on the Rabbi’s gowns and that a couple drops of this red wine may have splattered on one of the Torah scrolls,” the post read. “If that is the case, then I swear to God, it was a complete accident and I did not spill any red wine with any malicious intentions.”
The post appeared on Law’s Instagram story, and was a screenshot of a Reddit post from an account that is now suspended.
Law was originally charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief. She was taken before a magistrate and the District Attorney’s Office asked that Law be fitted with an ankle monitor. The magistrate declined that request and she was released, Stinebaker said.
The charges were later upgraded to a state jail felony given that a religious center was the target.
Law missed her court hearing Friday and returned to the synagogue that day and was arrested.
In the social media post, she said she overslept and went back to the Temple to deliver a check for the damages.
She also contacted officials from the synagogue, tagging them on social media posts and making threats. She mentioned an official at the synagogue by name and listed his date of birth with a date of death written as 2023, according to prosecutors at Law’s court hearing.
More from Clare Fonstein: Woman accused of driving impaired after passenger dies in crash, Harris County officials say
A judge revoked her bond in a court hearing Monday and ordered a psychological evaluation for Law.
Several members of the synagogue congregation were in the courtroom at Law’s hearing. Some were parents of the children who were at the temple the second time Law was there.
“Some of these folks were just terrified,” Stinebaker said.
He said prosecutors were working all throughout the weekend on the case and are continuing to do so.
“This is kind of a case that the District Attorney’s Office takes extremely seriously,” Stinebaker said.
Law’s defense and Temple Emanu El were not immediately reachable Monday for comment.