Police are currently investigating a series of bloodstains and two swastikas drawn in blood discovered March 4 at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district.
KTLA reports the bloodstains were found in a bathroom at the park, and the swastikas were drawn on a cement wall close to the playground. Red footprints could be seen going to a nearby 7-Eleven and Coffee Bean. The site of the blood and swastikas is close to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the .discovery was made around 6:45 a.m. LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said investigators believe the blood came from someone who had suffered an accident, a self-inflicted injury or a criminal act.
Bloodhounds were brought in and followed a scent for several blocks going south, then east, before losing the trail, Eisenman said.
City Councilman David Ryu issued a statement, saying, “Acts of hate and anti-Semitism are deeply painful and have no place in the city of Los Angeles.”
The Anti-Defamation League’s Los Angeles chapter tweeted:
While we do not yet know the perpetrator's intent, the impact of a swastika on a senior center in this neighborhood is seen as targeting the Jewish community. We applaud @LAPDHQ for their swift investigation. https://t.co/JZAwLsKuUp
— ADL Southern California (@ADLSoCal) March 5, 2019
A hate incident report was generated. Detectives are still searching for the injured party.
