ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Four University of Rochester students are free after spending a night in jail charged with putting up fake “Wanted” posters across campus. The posters show the faces of Jewish people and people close to them, and the university calls them antisemitic.

The students charged with felony criminal mischief are:

– Naomi Gutierrez, 19

– Samantha Escobar, 21

– Jefferson Turcios, 22

– Jonathan Bermudez, 19

However, a reading of the criminal complaints shows the basis for the arrests is not the content of the posters. It’s the content of the glue used to put them up.

The complaints say the students were caught on closed-circuit cameras on campus using a spray adhesive that was so strong it damaged university property when the posters came down.

“The ‘Wanted’ posters could not be removed without causing damage to the surfaces to which they were affixed,” the complaints said.

The complaints say the posters were put on university walls, whiteboards, and chalkboards.

The complaints say damage is estimated at least $6,000.

The students were called out one by one in city court Wednesday morning and the judge entered a not guilty plea on their behalf. Three of the four qualify for the public defender. They are charged with criminal mischief 2nd degree, which is a property damage charge.

When News10NBC talked to supporters outside court, they still believed the students were arrested because of the content of the posters.

“I am very concerned that students of ours would be criminalized and taken to jail for exercising political speech however one might think about that speech,” said Joshua Dubler, professor of Religious Studies at UR.

“I fully stand with the students, I support the students and if there’s any way to drop these ridiculous charges against these students, the university must do exactly that,” said Stanley Martin, Rochester City Council member. “Shame, shame, shame on the university president, shame on the DPS chief of public safety, shame on the University of Rochester.”

The students were released about an hour after they were in court. Criminal mischief doesn’t qualify for bail in New York. They used friends, hoodies, and scarves to cover their faces.

Sarah Alijitawi, a third-year student at UR came to support her friends and called their parents.

“These are people who care so much about others and their academics and are some of the hardest workers genuinely on this campus and it was really hard to watch them be in this position,” Alijitawi said.

Alijitawi said she phoned the parents of the students who were concerned that UR did not tell them where their children were.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “That’s what they told you?”

Sarah Alijitawi: “When the parents called the school and asked what was going on, where is my child, what is going on? The school did not respond to them. That’s what one of their moms told me.”

“At this time my office is going to be working with the University of Rochester as we have been to gather all discovery and make sure we move the process forward,” said Bianca D’Angelo, assistant district attorney.

Berkeley Brean: “Bianca is there a fifth defendant?”

Bianca D’Angelo: “Not to my knowledge at this time. If more charges or more information becomes available then we will let you know.”

When UR announced the arrests of the students, they said, “An additional fifth person continues to be investigated.”

One of the students has a lawyer. The other three qualify for the public defender and they’re back in court next week to get a full-time lawyer.

“Students should have the opportunity to make mistakes, if you view this action as a mistake, without having their bodies put in a cage by the state. That is a severe overreaction,” said Professor Dubler.

RELATED:

• UR: Persons of interest identified in campus ‘Wanted’ posters
• UR Public Safety investigates after hundreds of ‘wanted’ posters put around campus
• Jewish Federation and Palestine supporters react after UR students accused of putting up antisemitic posters

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