Crime & Safety

Synagogue Bombing Suspect Appeared to Be 'Innocent Old Soul'

Ron Hirsch did not put up a fight when he was arrested Monday night, a witness says.

Ron Hirsch appeared to be an "innocent old soul," said one man who saw him Monday night by Cleveland Heights Police and the FBI. 

The was arrested around 6 p.m. at the Agudath Israel, Kollel Torah L.I.F.E. building at 1861 South Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights, said Jerry Elliot, a local resident who witnessed the arrest. 

Elliot thought Hirsch was just studying at the study center, as everyone else was, and the only indication that he was not a regular member was the fact he was wearing "beach clothes." Most men who attend the kollel, which is an Orthodox Jewish study center for all ages, wear a suit.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hirsch was arrested outside in the back of the building, Elliot said, and did not put up a fight. Elliot said it was "nothing exciting" and did not believe that Hirsch had "evil intentions" for the building in particular. 

Apparently Hirsch arrived Sunday, Elliot said, and the Jewish community put him up at a hotel in Beachwood. Normally, those passing through stay at a house on Bendemeer Road in Cleveland Heights, but it must have been full, Elliot said. He came back to the kollel Monday.

Find out what's happening in Santa Monicawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"When somebody's coming through town, and they need a place to stay just for a night or two … the community will put them up," Elliot said. 

Hirsch is being held at the Cleveland Heights Police Department, FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said.

"He’s still in custody over at the Cleveland Heights Police Department, and investigators from California have come in to further their investigation," Wilson said.

The Cleveland Heights Police Department would not comment.

Authorities had been pursuing Hirsch since Friday, when he had been linked to . No one was injured in the incident, and the motive behind it is still unclear.

"The individual in custody was arrested following a call to law enforcement by a concerned citizen who had come into contact with [the] man believed to be Hirsch," FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told Patch. 

Hirsch, 60, bought a Greyhound bus ticket under the name J. Fisher, one of his known aliases, according to authorities. The bus left Los Angeles on Thursday and was scheduled to arrive in New York on Sunday, making 10 stops along the way.

On Monday, the FBI released surveillance video showing Hirsch at a Greyhound station in Denver on Friday at 8:19 p.m. It is still unclear how he traveled from Colorado to Ohio.

More on the synagogue blast:

This story was updated on Tuesday at 10:47 a.m.

This article was originally published on .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.