Victoria police on Friday named a transient with an outstanding arrest warrant as a person of interest in the arson of a vehicle with a Hanukkah ornament fixed atop in Melbourne.
47-year-old John Argento, believed by police to be living “a transient lifestyle,” was identified by law enforcement to be “able to assist with their investigation.”
Argento is known to police, with an outstanding warrant for deception-related offenses, and is known by law enforcement to frequent the inner southern and northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Authorities are asking him to contact the Victoria Police. They are also seeking him in relation to the breaching of another vehicle several minutes prior in the same vicinity.
Detectives are treating the predawn Thursday St Kilda East arson of a vehicle with a Hanukkah billboard as a targeted attack, but Victoria Police said that there was no indication that Argento posed a specific risk to the Jewish community.
Police seek John Argento for targeted Melbourne arson
“We understand the devastating impact this type of offence has on our Jewish community, and we are continuing to prioritize this investigation. We won’t fully understand the motives of this arsonist until we get them into custody.
“At this stage, we do not believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community. We want to thank people in the area for their assistance in this investigation so far,” Southern Metro Region Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert said in a statement.
“At this stage, we do not believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community. We want to thank people in the area for their assistance in this investigation so far.”
No one was inside the vehicle at the time of the arson, but a woman and three children were evacuated from the residence as a precaution.
The incident has raised fear among the Australian Jewish community, following in the heels of the December 14 Bondi Beach Massacre.
"This is a continuation of the daily fear the Jewish community has had to live in for the past two years, and even more so after Bondi,” The Jewish Community Council of Victoria said in a statement on Thursday.
The incident saw widespread condemnation from Australian politicians, including Victorian Premier Jacinto Allan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“Australia’s Jewish community is in mourning after the Bondi terrorist attack. The firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another terrible act of suspected antisemitism,” Albanese said on X.
“There is no place in Australia for this kind of hatred, and it has to stop.”
The arson inflamed tensions about Australian political responses to antisemitic attacks, with groups like the Executive Council of Australian Jewry demanding protest and incitement restrictions, while the Australian Jewish Association reminded of calls for a royal commission into antisemitic incidents.
AJA also questioned the legitimacy of firearm law reforms, since the latest alleged antisemitic incident involved a firebomb.