A man will spend three years on probation for vandalizing an Israeli-owned business in Baltimore County with red paint.

Jonathon Wagner, 39, of North Baltimore, pleaded guilty on Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of malicious destruction of property. Prosecutors dropped a hate crime charge after determining that they could not proceed for technical legal reasons.

Circuit Judge Andrew M. Battista then ordered Wagner to serve 60 days in the Baltimore County Detention Center but suspended the entire sentence. He must also spend three years on probation and pay $250 in restitution.

When Battista asked Wagner if he wished to make a statement, he replied, “No thank you, your honor.”

On Aug. 6, Wagner walked up to Kitchen Design by Idan on Falls Road near West Lake Avenue and placed a sticker over a Ring doorbell camera.

Wagner then vandalized an Israeli flag next to the entrance along with the front door and two windows with what Assistant State’s Attorney Katelin Salins described as costume blood.

Baltimore County Police used law enforcement databases to identify Wagner and compared his driver’s license photo to the surveillance video.

The vandalism happened during a time of heightened tensions in the United States due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Hamas militants killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, and took 251 hostages. Israel has since killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, pushed the territory toward famine and displaced most of the population.

Angel Campbell, Wagner’s attorney, said her client became overwhelmed with emotion, adding that the crime was not motivated by hate.

Wagner, she said, is married with a 4-year-old daughter and lost his job at Johns Hopkins Hospital after he was charged in the case. He’s since struggled to find work.

Campbell said her client performed 75 hours of community service and was “extremely apologetic.”

“There’s really no excuse,” Campbell said. “It was a bad choice.”

Outside the courtroom, Idan Tzameret, the owner of Kitchen Design by Idan, said he’s considering pursuing a lawsuit.

“I’m not an emotional guy, but it’s a little bit disappointing,” Tzameret said. “To me, it’s a slap on the wrist.”

His attorney, Michael Glass, said he believed that Wagner was not remorseful and deserved some jail time.

“Clearly,” Glass said, “this was a hate crime.”

People who chose to engage in the hate, he said, will legally pay the price.