Police believe that two separate incidents of vandalism at two different Maryland schools involving lewd, hate-filled graffiti are connected.
On Thursday morning, police found Herbert Hoover Middle School in Potomac tagged with graffiti and began investigating the incident as a hate crime.
“Officers from the 1st District responded to the school and discovered extensive vandalism to the walls, doors, windows and furniture. The vandalism depicted sexual images, genitalia, and hate language,” police said.
On Saturday morning, police found broken windows, racial slurs and a “sexually-descriptive drawing” on a building at North Bethesda Middle School. Nearby cars were painted, and one was vandalized with the same racial slur found on the building.
A Montgomery County school spokesperson told NBC Washington that the vandalism was “ethnically offensive and sexually graphic.”
In another incident discovered last Wednesday that police have not confirmed they’re investigating in connection with the two recent crimes, about 20 people in Silver Spring woke up to find their car tires slashed, and two people found their cars painted with hate-related graffiti.
“There were phallic symbols, swastikas, gay slurs, racial slurs,” victim Matt Prieto told WUSA9. “Up and down the road, nothing but slashed tires and spray paint.”
Watch WUSA9’s segment to hear Matt Prieto’s daughter, 13-year-old Brianna Prieto, tell the vandals that she doesn’t think Jews or gay people want to see that. She says, “if it wasn’t illegal, I’d put a bat to your head.”
If you have any information about the crimes, call the Montgomery County Police Department. There’s a $1,000 reward from Crime Solvers for information which leads to an arrest and indictment. Crime Solvers numbers are 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or 240-773-8477. You can also text “MCPD” and the tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Callers can remain anonymous.