Citizens apprehend teen vandal after he smashed the Boston Holocaust Memorial

The Boston Holocaust Memorial was shattered on Monday by what witnesses said was a young hooded man who was quickly apprehended by civilians, according to WFXT-TV.

WFXT reported that Boston police said a 17-year-old Malden teen is in custody after he allegedly threw a rock at the glass of the memorial and shattered it. Police said that two bystanders detained the teen until authorities had arrived.

Rock thrown at Holocaust memorial shatters glass, witnesses tell us Police confirm one person arrested. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/lPlXhvyz4O

— Christine McCarthy (@ChristineMNews) August 14, 2017

WFXT did not release the name of the vandal.

The teen will be charged with willful and malicious destruction of property. The Boston Police Department Civil Rights Unit is also investigating the possibility of adding further charges.

Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh denounced the vandalism on Twitter, calling the act a "despicable action."

Today & every day Boston stands up against hate. I'm saddened to see such a despicable action in this great city. (1/2)

— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) August 15, 2017

Boston PD Commissioner William Evans echoed Walsh, and added a thanks to the citizens who apprehended the teen.

“I’m grateful for the quick response and the community help which led to the swift arrest of the suspect responsible for the damage done to the Holocaust Memorial. Clearly, this type of behavior will not be tolerated in our city. And, in light of the recent events and unrest in Charlottesville, it’s sad to see a young person choose to engage in such senseless and shameful behavior," Evans said.

This will be the second time in under two months that the memorial has been vandalized. In late June, police apprehended James Isaac, 21, of Roxbury after he too threw a stone that shattered the memorial.

The shattering of the memorial comes alongside ideological groups destroying monuments of groups or persons they do not agree with.

On Monday, protesters gathered together and tore down a Confederate statue in Durham, North Carolina, in an effort to "smash white supremacy."

On Saturday, those claiming the mantle of "alt-right" met in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest the removal of a statue of Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee. They were met by leftist groups such as Antifa, and Black Lives Matter. Violence broke out, and resulted in one dead and multiple people injured after a man drove their Dodge Challenger into a crowd.