Police make arrest in Winnipeg hate graffiti spree

WINNIPEG — A 34-year-old Winnipeg man is accused of spraying “hate-related” graffiti on a synagogue, mosque and 12 other locations in a case that so far has not led to hate crime charges.

City police said Oliver Didtger Ederhof was charged with 14 counts of mischief under $5,000 — obstruct the enjoyment of property for an alleged spray-painting spree between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Jan. 2.

“Acts of hate have no place in our community. They do not represent who we are and they will not be ignored,” said Insp. Jennifer McKinnon, who oversees the major crimes unit’s hate crimes section.

“This arrest will not erase what happened, but is an important step toward accountability and healing.”

Swastikas were sprayed on the Abu Bakr Al-Siddique mosque and community centre, Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, Kelvin High School and the entrance to Munson Park on Wellington Crescent.

Homes, garages and vehicles in Crescentwood were also painted with “hate-related graffiti,” said police, who wouldn’t disclose a suspected motive.

McKinnon said the reason hate crime charges have not been laid “speaks back to motivation.”

“Initially, when we’re looking at the synagogue as a lone-standing event, we look at that charge — mischief in relation to a religious property,” she told reporters Friday. “However, given the totality of the other addresses and locations, and the type of graffiti that was spray-painted, we now have to look at the motivation behind this.”

She said police continue to investigate and consult prosecutors, cautioning that it takes time to establish a motive in such cases.

“Those charges can be considered once we come to the end of that,” McKinnon said.

She said Ederhof was arrested at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday. He was released on an undertaking.

Ederhof has no criminal convictions in Manitoba. He entered a program in the Winnipeg mental-health court in January 2025 to address charges, including an alleged assault and weapons offences.

The court diverts people whose crimes are a direct result of their mental illness out of the regular court system.

Ederhof completed the program over six months, the court heard in July, when the charges were stayed. He regularly attended appointments with his therapist and psychiatrist, working on coping skills and sobriety, and achieving stability with his mental health via psychiatric help and by taking his prescribed medication for his schizoaffective disorder.

Ederhof gained a better insight of the disorder and how to handle it, court heard. Schizoaffective disorder causes symptoms similar to schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions, combined with mood-related symptoms, like depression or mania.

Rena Secter Elbaze, executive director of the Congregation Shaarey Zedek on Wellington Crescent, was pleased an arrest was made. She said she felt “kind of deflated” when she learned hate-crime charges weren’t laid for the antisemitic graffiti.

“It doesn’t seem to look as serious as it should be,” she said. “If (the investigation) is not over yet, maybe there’s an opportunity to take it further and pursue it properly.”

Two swastikas, the word “hate” and another word believed to be an acronym, the meaning of which was not immediately clear, were sprayed on the synagogue.

“Hopefully, we can stop this type of hate and crime in the future.”

“This was, without a doubt, an antisemitic attack at a Jewish institution, at a synagogue. Using a Nazi symbol was intentional,” said Gustavo Zentner, a vice-president with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. “An attack to any community, any place of worship is really an attack on all communities.”

Adnan Siddiqui, director of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddique mosque and community centre at Ellice Avenue and Home Street, said he was glad and grateful to the police when he found out about the arrest.

“Hopefully, we can stop this type of hate and crime in the future,” he said.

Winnipeg School Division Supt. Matt Henderson said the Kelvin High School community was shaken by the incident there. The school and synagogue are in close proximity.

“We were happy how quickly the police responded to it and were transparent to it,” Henderson said.

Information from the public and surveillance camera video helped investigators to identify a suspect and trace his movements Jan. 2, McKinnon said.

She encouraged people to report similar graffiti they’ve recently discovered, if they haven’t done so already.

On Monday, police said incidents at the synagogue and Palestinian-owned Habibiz Café, at 1373 Portage Ave., appeared to be motivated by hate.

Swastikas were sprayed on the Abu Bakr Al-Siddique mosque and community centre at the corner of Ellice Avenue and Home Street.

Someone smashed the cafe’s front windows shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday and left a note saying, “Leave our country terrorist. F—k off.”

McKinnon said the incident at Habibiz Café is not linked to the 14 others, but it remains under investigation.

» Winnipeg Free Press