A quiet San Diego neighborhood woke up to a sickening display of hate Thursday after vandals went on an overnight spray-painting spree, scrawling swastikas and racial slurs across homes, fences and vehicles.
Residents of the San Diego neighborhood of San Carlos discovered the vile graffiti along Lake Ariana Avenue and surrounding streets, leaving neighbors rattled and police investigating who was behind the disturbing rampage, according to CBS 8.
Orlando Chavez told CBS 8 that his hauling truck was among several vehicles defaced overnight, with vandals painting the N-word and a swastika across its side.
“It was all over the side in big letters, about a foot and a half,” Chavez said.
Rather than drive around with the hateful message on display, Chavez bought a can of black spray paint and covered it himself.
But he was far from the only resident targeted.
A Jewish neighbor who asked not to be identified said a swastika was discovered on his property.
“My wife is freaking out because it’s a bad sign to see swastikas,” he told the outlet. “It just really gets us because there is no reason for all of that hate.”
Neighbor Don Montgomery said surveillance footage from around 2:30 a.m. captured a blurry image of two people outside his home.
Montgomery suspects teenagers may have been responsible, though he stressed that their age would be no excuse for plastering racist and antisemitic symbols around the community.
Video of the latest vandalism quickly sparked outrage online.
“This is terrible!” one social media user wrote.
Another person who said they grew up in the area lamented what had happened to the community.
“It was always a diverse community of good people. I don’t remember this bs happening back then,” the person wrote.
San Carlos is home to approximately 14,383 residents, according to City Data. Neighbors describe the community as diverse, with white, Black, Middle Eastern and Jewish residents living in the area — making the sudden appearance of racist and antisemitic graffiti particularly disturbing.
City Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents the area, blasted the vandalism as “completely abhorrent” and noted its disturbing timing just before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
“It is an attack on who we are as a city, trying to instill fear into communities,” Campillo told CBS 8. “I fully condemn any expression of antisemitism and racism in our city. San Diego is a welcoming place, and this does not reflect who we are or what we stand for.”
Campillo said he had been in contact with San Diego Police and called for whoever is responsible to face consequences.
“People who vandalize property and who aim to perpetrate hate crimes must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “If you witness any antisemitic or racist behavior, please report it immediately.”
Under California law, certain acts of vandalism motivated by bias can carry enhanced criminal penalties, though any charges would depend on the circumstances, the amount of damage and evidence uncovered by investigators.
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