Police in Melbourne have named a person of interest as they investigate an arson attack on a vehicle with a Hanukkah decoration in the early hours of Christmas morning.
A local rabbi’s car — adorned with a “Happy Chanukah” sign — was destroyed in the incident about 3am on Thursday, with his family fleeing their St Kilda East home as the unoccupied vehicle burned.
Chanukah, also spelled Hanukkah, is the name for the eight-day Jewish festival of lights.
Police say they want to speak to John Argento following the car fire. (Supplied: Victoria Police)
The incident in an area with a strong Jewish population has been condemned as a frightening act of antisemitism.
On Friday, detectives urged John Argento — who is described as being 185 centimetres tall with a thin build, blue eyes and grey hair — to contact police.
Officers said the 47-year-old lived a transient lifestyle in Melbourne’s inner north and south and may currently be sleeping rough.
He is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly using a stolen credit card, they said, and investigators would also like to speak with him about a vehicle that was broken into near the arson about 20 minutes afterwards.
While the incident is being treated as a targeted attack, police do not believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community.
The vehicle sustained significant damage in the incident overnight. (Facebook)
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert said “the most important thing” was to understand the motive for the attack and “make sure the community doesn’t live in fear as a result of this incident”.
“Our responsibility at this stage is to make sure we don’t take anything off the table,” he said.
“We look at it, and certainly, if it was racially or religiously motivated, we will follow that angle.”
Police have assured the Jewish community that they retain a significant presence in Melbourne’s inner south-east.
“We are here in numbers,” Assistant Commissioner Gilbert said.
“We are here in numbers. We are here to support them.
“We’ll be here all day and night, but we want to bring this matter to a close quickly, for certainty for the community.”
Chris Gilbert says officers are working to establish a motive for the incident. (ABC News)
The incident on Thursday morning was condemned by local Jewish leaders, state politicians from both major parties and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann from the modern orthodox Jewish ARK Centre in East Hawthorn, said the community was still grieving after the Bondi terrorist attack.
“It’s just horrific to wake up yesterday morning and to hear a prominent member of the community’s property has been invaded and literally firebombed his car,” he said.
“In the middle of the night, his family having to evacuate, we were shell-shocked.”
Rabbi Kaltmann said the owner of the car was a well-known community leader.
“Frankly, he’s just a great person.
“Now, the community is overcome with not just grief but with a heightened anxiety.”
He said it added to a “large tally” of incidents in Melbourne, including the arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in December 2024 and the firebombing of the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in 2025.
The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, described the arson attack as heartbreaking. (ABC News)
The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, described the arson attack as a hateful and “scumbag” action.
“It is absolutely disgusting,” he said.
“It was a rabbi who was just out providing support to his community at a time when it should be a time of peace and goodwill.”
Police worked into the night trying to ascertain the whereabouts of a person of interest identified earlier in the day.
The destroyed vehicle will be forensically examined by an arson chemist.