The man police say they caught painting anti-Semitic graffiti at a construction site near High Park likely was motivated by a highly charged conflict in the community between residents and a development firm, Howard Cohen, president of the company that is building a condominium on the site, said yesterday.

"I think the extent of the animosity from the people fighting the project would certainly have put this on the front burner in people's mind," said Mr. Cohen, president of Context Development Inc.

"When you get that kind of activity going on, I think sick people . . . are encouraged to do their thing."

Police said that on Monday morning a man painted three drawings of an equal sign between a Star of David and a swastika onto the hoarding at a construction site near High Park.

There has been a rash of anti-Semitic crimes over the past week, during which houses and synagogues were defaced with swastikas and 22 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery were knocked to the ground.

That continued yesterday as police were called at about 10:50 a.m. to the Lubavitch Centre on Chabad Gate in Vaughan, after eggs were thrown at the centre's synagogue. Two schools in the area also were targeted.

At about 7:30 a.m. Monday, the principal of Pleasantville Public School on Mill Street in Richmond Hill found two swastikas and other symbols spray-painted on an entrance door. Over the weekend, the Star of David and the phrase "Revenge 4 Nazis" were spray-painted on the rear-entrance doors of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School on New Westminster Drive in Vaughan.

Two boys, 13 and 14, also were arrested on Monday for making anti-Semitic and harassing phone calls -- allegedly including death threats -- to a family in Vaughan.

Though police said they are not certain who is behind all the crimes in the surge of vandalism, the Ontario executive director of the Canadian Jewish Congress said he believes the latest acts are "copy-cat crimes."

"It is sad and outrageous that punks and thugs would continue this rampage of anti-Semitic assaults on public buildings," Bernie Farber said. "It will be incumbent on all of us as a community to fight this."

Staff Inspector Brody Smollet of the Toronto Police made clear, however, that there were no clear connections between the man they arrested near High Park and the other attacks.

Police arrested Reza Safaei, 46, and charged him with three counts of mischief under $5,000. A close colleague of the man said there must be a mix-up.

"The guy is very good. I've never detected an ounce of malice in him," Geoff Fernie, vice-president of research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, said yesterday.

Police said Mr. Safaei moved from Iran to Canada in 1987. Dr. Fernie said Mr. Safaei went to the Ontario College of Art and Design and worked on projects to help the elderly since then.

Mr. Safaei was released on bail yesterday under the conditions he reside with his wife, he be at home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. unless he is with his wife and that he not use or purchase paint.

He is not allowed to enter any synagogue, cemetery, school or community centre.

Police said they will investigate whether the man they arrested over the graffiti near High Park is connected with earlier occurrences there.