MARTIN COUNTY, Florida —One or extra vandals spray-painted an anti-Black racial slur, a swastika and a star of David with a line slashed by way of it in a golf course tunnel in Palm City, regulation enforcement information present.
Some sexually express etchings have been discovered there, too, stated Martin County sheriff’s Lt. Yesenia Carde. Palm City is lower than an hour north of West Palm Beach, alongside the Atlantic coast.
Investigators responded to Martin Downs Golf Club after receiving studies Monday of vandalism at the golf course, in line with a sheriff’s incident report.
An worker found the spray-painted symbols and phrases round 7 a.m. that day, the report exhibits.
They have been etched on the bottom with vivid orange spray paint, investigators stated, and the suspects left behind shoe prints after stepping on the moist paint.
Detectives are investigating the incident as a legal mischief case with the potential of enhancing expenses to a hate crime.
“With a hate crime, you have to show that that is the primary motive of the incident,” Carde stated. “So once we make contact with the suspect, if we determine that their motive was just to go there and cause damage, not to target any specific racial group … then at that point we determine it’s just criminal mischief.”
The lieutenant stated if detectives discover the suspects had motive to focus on a gaggle primarily based on their race, these arrested might face hate crime expenses.
Investigators stated kids might have spray-painted the golf course tunnel primarily based on the character of the drawings, however they haven’t excluded the potential of grownup suspects.
School useful resource officers are looking out for college kids with orange paint on their sneakers at elementary and center faculties within the space, which embrace Hidden Oaks Middle School, Palm City Elementary School and Citrus Grove Elementary School, in line with the report.
In May 2022, six college students have been investigated in connection to the circulation of a racist photograph at Hidden Oaks Middle School. Investigators haven’t linked the 2 circumstances, officers stated Tuesday.
The golf course had an estimated $1,000 in injury and detectives are nonetheless investigating the case, officers stated.
Mauricio La Plante is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm specializing in Martin County. Follow him on Twitter @mslaplantenews or e mail him at [email protected].