Several Palisades residents were horrified Sunday morning to find their cars had been vandalized with swastikas and racial slurs.
“I can’t believe something like this could happen in the Palisades,” said Chris Martinez, who found her teenage daughter’s car painted with a large swastika and derogatory words for women, homosexuals and African-Americans. “This is not a prank. This is out and out hate and vandalism.”
According to Los Angeles Police Department records, eight vehicles were spray painted early Sunday morning. The first spray-painted vehicle was noticed at 6:22 a.m., and police believe at least some of the vandalism occurred after 4 a.m.
LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore said the Alphabet Streets and the area between Temescal Canyon Road and Marquez were primarily targeted. The suspects used blue and gold spray paint and seemed to target Toyota Priuses, although at least one Mercedes was also hit.
“Circumstantial evidence would indicate we’re probably looking at juveniles or young adults who are trying to cause a commotion,” Moore said.
The case is being investigated as a hate crime, but there is no evidence that certain people were targeted.
“Chances are the individuals did not know the people they were targeting,” Moore said. It looks like they were just setting out to tag Priuses.”
Maritza Ramon-Roberts said her 10-year-old daughter was crying because she did not understand why someone would paint a Nazi symbol on their vehicle. Ramon-Roberts said she loves where she lives, but she now wonders if there are “closet racists” in the Palisades.
“It’s just really disturbing,” she said. “You kind of just question about trusting people again.”
Anyone with a video surveillance system can help the investigation by checking their videos for suspicious activity in the neighborhood, Moore said. Anyone with information can contact LAPD at (310) 444-0702.
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