Swastikas carved on several vehicles in Berkeley, police investigating as hate crime

BERKELEY, Calif. – Berkeley law enforcement are investigating a dislike crime soon after anyone carved swastikas into the aspect of a number of automobiles in North Berkeley.

This took place sometime Saturday night or Sunday early morning on Monterey Avenue near Colusa Avenue.  

Jules Kragen discovered the disturbing sight on the side of his vehicle Sunday morning.

“For me it’s extremely particular in that my mother and father were being in the holocaust,” stated Kragen. “8 of my aunts and uncles and a few out of the 4 grandparents ended up killed. So it evoked a good deal of unhappiness in me that this form of racist behavior is even now likely on.”

Three autos parked in a row were being vandalized. A fourth car or truck experienced a window smashed by a brick.

Jewish people live in at the very least two of the households impacted.

Law enforcement are investigating this incident as a hate crime.

“Hate crimes are a precedence for the Metropolis of Berkeley law enforcement section. They are a priority for our entire city,” mentioned Officer Byron White with BPD. “The sight of that by yourself understandably is pretty destructive to the neighborhood, pretty hurtful.”

Officer White reported they do not know who is liable for the anti-Semitic vandalism. Law enforcement are asking any person in the location who could possibly have found a person suspicious to speak to them. They also hope neighbors will check out safety video from Saturday evening as a result of Sunday early morning.

Kragen needs the person dependable to understand the weight behind this symbol. “I’d like them to know that this symbol was the image of mass murder. And that several individuals had been killed in lieu of this symbol and it’s not a joke,” he claimed.

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Kragen claimed it’s heading to almost certainly expense at least $1,000 to restore the hurt to his auto. In the meantime, he’s masking the swastika with a piece of cardboard, and claimed he has obtained a great deal of assistance from the community.

“Persons have spoken out in solidarity and condemned the act for what it is. And it is excellent to reside in a community like this in which racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia are not tolerated.”

Berkeley’s mayor Jesse Arreguin, sent KTVU this statement about the incident:

“A criminal offense against 1 of us is a criminal offense against all of us. I stand in solidarity with our vivid Jewish neighborhood, and I’m coordinating closely with law enforcement to make certain the particular person who carried out this cowardly exhibit of loathe is held accountable. Detest crimes will under no circumstances be tolerated in Berkeley, this is a neighborhood that celebrates diversity in all its kinds.”