Man suspected of committing an anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic hate crime in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood has been arrested

A man suspected of painting anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic graffiti in Hillcrest was arrested Thursday, San Diego police said.

In early August, the department began investigating graffiti — a swastika and an anti-LGBTQ slur — painted on a wall and a trash can near Fifth Avenue and Robinson Street.

A surveillance camera captured footage of a vehicle leaving the area and police uploaded the footage to their license plate recognition system.

The system identified the vehicle, officials said, leading to the identification of two suspects.

One of them, a 21-year-old San Diego resident, was arrested while the second suspect remained at large.

“The San Diego Police Department is committed to ensuring a safe space for all members of our community, and acts of hate like this will not be tolerated,” the department said in a press release.

Originally published: November 7, 2024 at 5:29 pm PST