Chula Vista teenager arrested for hate crime involving graffiti

A teenager was arrested Friday on suspicion of repeatedly defaced an elementary school with graffiti, including racist slurs and swastikas, Chula Vista police said.

The first markings were found on Aug. 18 on several walls, doors and a large mural at Enrique Camarena Elementary School on Exploration Falls Drive, police said. The next morning, after parents and school staff spent hours cleaning and covering up the graffiti, new and similar writings were found on the front of the school grounds.

Security measures were put in place, but staff reported finding more hateful graffiti on the back of the school on Wednesday, police said. The markings, which included racist slurs against multiple races, caused an estimated thousands of dollars in damage.

After an extensive investigation, a 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the incidents at a local high school football game around 7 p.m., police said. Investigators have now obtained a search warrant for his home in Chula Vista, not far from the elementary school. The teenager faces serious hate crimes and vandalism charges.

Chula Vista police said investigators worked with school security officials who interviewed residents, students and staff – conversations that eventually led to the identification of the juvenile suspect. The police department also consulted with federal authorities and the Anti-Defamation League.

“I want the community to know that as a mother, I recognized their fears and concerns from the beginning,” Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy wrote in a press release. “While we were unable to publicly discuss our specific strategies, my department's top priority was to find the person responsible for this fear. These hateful acts are unacceptable and we will not tolerate such behavior in our community. I am grateful to the FBI and members of our local school staff and community for coming together to help us put a quick end to this.”

Although an arrest has been made, school security officials are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Originally published: August 24, 2024 at 18:55