San Diego police are investigating a wave of antisemitic and racist graffiti that defaced homes, vehicles and fences across the San Carlos neighborhood overnight Thursday.
Orlando Chavez, a local resident, discovered his hauling truck had been targeted with a swastika and the N-word painted in letters roughly 18 inches tall across its side. “It was all over the side in big letters, about a foot and a half,” he told CBS 8. Rather than leave the hate speech visible, Chavez purchased black spray paint and covered the slurs himself.
A Jewish neighbor, who requested anonymity, found a swastika on his property and said his wife was deeply shaken by the symbol’s appearance so close to Rosh Hashanah. “My wife is freaking out because it’s a bad sign to see swastikas,” he said. “It just really gets us because there is no reason for all of that hate.”
Don Montgomery, another resident, told the outlet that surveillance cameras captured a blurry image of two figures outside his home around 2:30 a.m. He speculated teenagers may have carried out the vandalism, though he emphasized that youth would not excuse the behavior.
The damage stretched across Lake Ariana Avenue and surrounding streets in San Carlos, a community of approximately 14,383 residents that neighbors describe as notably diverse, with white, Black, Middle Eastern and Jewish families living in the area.
City Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents the district, condemned the incident as “completely abhorrent” and highlighted its timing just before the Jewish New Year. “It is an attack on who we are as a city, trying to instill fear into communities,” he 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 direct contact with San Diego Police regarding the investigation and urged witnesses to come forward. “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.”
News of the vandalism spread rapidly online, drawing condemnation from current and former residents. “This is terrible!” one social media user wrote. Another commenter, who identified as having grown up in San Carlos, expressed dismay at the change in their former community. “It was always a diverse community of good people. I don’t remember this bs happening back then,” the person wrote.
Under California law, bias-motivated vandalism can carry enhanced criminal penalties, though any charges would depend on the extent of damage, circumstances and evidence gathered by investigators.
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