The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating a vandalism incident in San Pedro involving a car painted with a racial slur and swastikas as a hate crime.
The car’s owner, Reginald Scott, who is black, found his red Ford Mustang on Dec. 29 vandalized with black spray paint, spelling out “Merry Christmas,” followed by the N-word and swastikas on the bumper, according to news reports. reports and a GoFundMe site created by Scott. The car was parked a block from his house.
LAPD Capt. Brent McGuyre said Friday that investigators have made no arrests in the case.
Los Angeles City Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents the San Pedro area, called the incident “deplorable” and characterized it as a hate crime.
in a statement issued on dayFormerly known as Twitter, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called vandalism “unacceptable in our city,” adding that “hate crimes are on the rise and African Americans remain the most common victims in Los Angeles County. like in this case.” “
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Greater Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement that the group “strongly condemns this blatant act of hatred and intolerance against the family.”
Scott could not be reached for comment, but on a GoFundMe page he said: “Having a racial slur spray painted on the family vehicle is embarrassing, embarrassing and difficult to explain to my son.”
The Gofundme site said Scott and his family have lived in their neighborhood for 20 years and their vehicles have never been vandalized. McGuyre confirmed that Scott had previously reported incidents of vandalism to police.
The incidents have caused the family to consider moving out of the area, according to the site. “I was shocked,” he told Fox11 News of the crime. “I was in disbelief.”
