Police are searching for suspects who spray-painted inflammatory symbols and slogans near the intersection of South Hudson and East Exposition early Tuesday, April 26.
ADL has issued a security alert for Jewish institutions over Pass-over.
Virginia Vale residents notified the Denver Police Department at 1 a.m. that multiple vehicles and some property had been vandalized.
Police answering the dispatch discovered at least 36 cars and some garages covered with offensive graffiti.
“We found several disturbing things,” the department’s communication director Sonny Jackson told the Intermountain Jewish News Tuesday. The messages, both anti-Semitic and racial in nature, “concerned us greatly.”
Police are currently searching for two white juvenile males wearing baseball caps, backpacks and possibly light-colored jeans in connection with the incident.
“The District Attorney’s office will determine whether this was a hate crime,” Jackson said, “but the police department’s bias-motivated crime unit is looking into this, as are related units.
“It’s an open investigation,” he said. “We want to determine what motivated this attack.”
ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott Levin issued the following statement Tuesday:
“The ADL condemns the hateful graffiti placed on cars, homes and in the streets of Denver. The graffiti, which includes the message ‘kill Jews,’ ‘KKK’ and other offensive language and symbols, represents an attack on the entire community, meant to instill fear and intimidation.
“We urge members of the community to speak out and declare with one voice that these acts of hate are unacceptable.”
The statement also applauded the Denver Police Dept.’s quick decision to investigate the vandalism as possible bias-motivated crimes.
Virginia Vale, established in the late 1950s, housed a large Jewish community. Now it is in walking distance of Chabad, B’nai Havurah and Kohelet and close to EDOS, Rodef Shalom, BMH-BJ and the Loup JCC.
In addition to Jews, African Americans and other diverse ethnicities populate the enclave.
Paul Aceto of the Virginia Vale Community Association described a scene of mayhem and confusion to the IJN.
“There was a slew of vandalism — tagging, spray paint on vehicles, trash barrels and a few garage doors,” he said. “It was profane, with slurs against Jews and African Americans.
“But there also was a ‘down with Trump’ message.
“No one knows who did this. They could be anyone.”
While the egregious verbal attacks unquestionably upset people of a particular religion or ethnicity, Aceto did not feel the intent was hate-fueled.
“There’s no rhyme or reason to this act — no consistency,” he said. “I think it was committed by bored juveniles wanting to be destructive.
“How could they possibly know what car belonged to whom? My neighbors, who are white, had ‘KKK’ spray-painted on their garbage can.”
Aceto concedes that the emotional result “is frustrating, disheartening. Hate crimes are a very sensitive issue.
“I just think some kids wanted to be destructive, rather than send a specific message.”
Denver police are adopting a more serious approach.
“Anytime this happens in your neighborhood, it’s disturbing — and it’s disturbing to us,” Jackson says.
Police are asking residents in or near the vandalized area with exterior home security cameras or who come across empty spray-paint cans to contact Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
Andrea Jacobs may be reached at [email protected].
