Man arrested in Neighbor pub vandalism and charged with hate crime

Santa Cruz police have arrested a suspect in connection with the vandalism of The Neighbor’s Pub in downtown Santa Cruz, which they are now calling a hate crime.

James Eason, 45, will be reassigned for vandalism, arson and hate crime. Police said Eason was already in custody for an unrelated crime at the time he was arrested as a suspect in the vandalism. Investigators compared body camera footage from an arrest earlier this week with surveillance camera footage from the incident.

Police responded to a report at Neighbor’s, an LGBTQ+ bar, at 3 a.m. Tuesday, just days after it officially opened. Homeowner Frankie Farr told Lookout on Wednesday that the button to automatically open the door had melted and burned, burned towels had been pushed into the door frame and a homophobic slur was etched into the window of the door. door. Farr said they believed someone had tried to start a fire inside the pub, based on burnt towels placed in the door.

The pub remained open during normal hours: Thursday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.