Police in Victoria apprehend man suspected of theft of vehicle used in alleged arson at Adass Israel synagogue; authorities investigating the case.

A man accused of stealing a car used in an arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne has been arrested and charged, with police also alleging he tried to block them from accessing apps on his phone. The December attack on the ultra-Orthodox Adass Israel synagogue is being investigated as a politically motivated attack. The 20-year-old man was arrested in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown and charged with theft of a blue VW Golf in November, which police allege was later used in the attack. He was also charged with failing to provide detectives with access to applications on his phone. Police have not yet arrested anyone accused of ordering or carrying out the attack, with the Age reporting the investigation had “stalled” in part due to the use of encrypted technology. After the arrest, police searched a home in the suburb of Melton South, where they seized items subject to further investigation. The car used in the attack was also used in an arson attack at the Lux nightclub in Melbourne’s South Yarra in November and a shooting in Bundoora the same night as the synagogue fire. The 20-year-old man was granted conditional bail and will appear in court on 3 October.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/17/victoria-adass-israel-synagogue-arson-attack-car-theft-charge-ntwnfb