Spray-painted swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti over a wide area in upscale neighborhoods of Encino and Tarzana are being investigated as possible hate crimes by Los Angeles police.
Early Thursday morning, residents discovered the vandalism, which included such insults as “F… Jews” and “Burn Jews,” painted in front of four homes along a two-mile stretch of walls along Wells Drive, between Tampa and Louise avenues.At this point, police are not certain of the perpetrators’ motivation and one of the more heavily targeted homes is owned by a non-Jewish family.
Judy Silver, a neighbor whose home was not affected, told TV station KCAL9, “I’m frightened. I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times or if it’s just kids, because we’re surrounded by two schools.”
Amanda Susskind, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said that her office had received a large volume of calls by citizens expressing their outrage.
ADL associate director Matthew Friedman said that “A hate crime like this targets not just those who live in the home, it targets the entire community.”Police request anyone with possible information to contact West Valley detectives Foster Rains or Andrew Purdy at (818) 374-7730.
