Phoenix police arrest 3 suspects who allegedly keyed 16 cars of pro-Palestine protestors

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Three people have been arrested for scratching derogatory comments into the cars of pro-Palestine protestors parked near an Arizona synagogue.

Anonymous tips from the community led detectives to the suspects, and two of them have strong ties to the Jewish faith.

According to court records, one of the suspects, Lisa Karlovsky, was previously the Republican Jewish Coalition Director. A neighbor told Arizona’s Family that her husband, Matthew Karlovsky, is a doctor.

Phoenix police believe Bryan Long and the Karlovskys vandalized 16 cars, with damage costing more than $45,000.

“It’s kind of shocking that grown adults would do something like this to 16 cars. We figured it would be like kids, somebody a little younger, somebody with less to lose,” Jamil Naser told Arizona’s Family in March.

Naser said vulgar messages were keyed into his car around 5 p.m. on Jan. 28 near 55th Place and Shea Boulevard. According to new court paperwork, Long told detectives he went for a walk that evening and ran into his neighbors, Matthew and Lisa Karlovsky.

The couple was in Matthew’s white Audi at the time. They heard a pro-Palestine protest going on nearby outside the Congregation of Beth Israel. They headed that way with “intent to damage the protester’s vehicles and Lisa was instigating it.”

Long said he saw Lisa damage approximately ten cars, etching the Star of David on many of them. He called her “out of control,” claiming she was “spitting towards the Palestinian supporters even as they were walking back.”

Profanity and phrases like “baby killers” and “murderers” were also carved into cars. After a negative interaction with a protester, court records say Long admitted to investigators he used a screwdriver to scratch a Subaru.

Court documents say Matthew drove them there and acted as “a look out.” All of this was caught on surveillance video.

Arizona’s Family stopped by all of the suspect’s homes on Friday. Long answered the door but declined to comment.

All three appeared in court and face ten counts of criminal damage. “I’m a little bit surprised there’s ten counts based on what I discussed with the detective and I was very forth coming with him,” said Long during his initial court appearance.

“The facts support physical damage to one vehicle at your hands. The other nine allegations that you’ve been charged with will fall under accomplice liability,” the judge replied.

Court records call this vandalism “hate filled speech”, but it’s not clear if detectives are investigating this as a hate crime.

All three suspects are due back in court next week.

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