Neighbors Shocked After Swastika Is Painted On Fence In Logan Square
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A symbol of hate was found plastered on a Logan Square homeowner's fence in the middle of the day.
Police on the scene called it highly unusual. Meanwhile, CBS 2's Steven Graves spoke to a neighbor who witnessed the crime and put a stop to it.
People stopped and stared at the sight as a man scraped away the swastika on a wooden slat fence on the side of a house.
Some expressed anger and outrage. One resident could not believe her eyes.
"When I saw it was a swastika, it was really disturbing," she said. "It's a sign of hate."
As she headed to work, she admired the neighbor's new fence alongside the house at Rockwell and Cortland streets.
Around 11 a.m., two men came into view, and she saw them paint the hateful symbol. She was prompted to take a picture – and then they spotted her.
"As I was watching, I got a can thrown at me at the window of my car," she said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chicago Police collected that spray can as evidence. Officers took pictures and staked out the area.
The woman said in her 10 years in the area, she has never seen such a bold, brazen act.
"It was hard to see, and I don't want more of that in my neighborhood," she said. "We just need to learn to live together in a more peaceful way."
Police on Wednesday said the people responsible will most likely not face a hate crime charge, because the homeowner did not feel targeted. They are facing criminal vandalism charges, but no one was in custody as of Wednesday night.
