Officials were seeking the public’s help Tuesday in identifying a suspect in a series of hate crimes that occurred in several locations around San Diego since December of last year.
The crimes include graffiti on churches and religious shrines of different denominations in the neighborhoods of Bankers Hill, Golden Hill, Hillcrest, and North Park, according to the San Diego Police Department. The graffiti contained slurs targeting specific religions, police added.
The suspect was described as a heavy-set white man between 25 and 30 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, with dark-framed eyeglasses, dark covering on his face, dark pants and black shoes with a white sole.
“The suspect always arrives on foot during the early-morning hours, completes the vandalism using black spray-paint, and leaves on foot. The victims have been the target on numerous previous incidents,” the department said.
He sometimes wears a sweatshirt with the words “BLTS SWATS” printed on the front, police said.
Police said surveillance cameras captured footage of the suspect on each of the properties, but their locations were not immediately available.
Officials asked anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of the suspect to call the SDPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit at (619) 531-2331 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
A reward of up to $2,000 was offered to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
