A man arrested on suspicion of vandalizing a Hanukkah display at a Los Angeles shopping center is associated with a group of young people who espouse racist and anti-Semitic beliefs, according to police.

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement Monday praising police for their "swift arrest of the suspects."

"Since hate crimes are intended to instill fear in an entire community, the immediate response and investigation sends a countervailing message that hate is not tolerated," said Gennady Shtern, Valley director of the Pacific South West Region of the ADL.

He noted that the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations released a report this month showing that Jews continue to be the most frequently targeted religious group, accounting for 84 percent of religious-based hate crimes.