Hate Crime Investigation Underway After Someone Painted A Racial Slur On Black Family’s Car

Reginald Scott and his family started their new year off with a rude awakening after discovering their car had been vandalized. Someone painted a racial slur and swastikas on his red Ford Mustang in black spray paint.  

According to the Scott family, this incident occurred at some point over the holiday, between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

“I couldn’t believe this happened to me in San Pedro,” the California resident said.

On one side of the sports car, the vandal spray painted a message in large letters, reading “Merry Christmas N-word.”

On the other side, the suspect painted numerous indiscernible letters. In addition, “[s]wastikas were painted onto the bumper and the vehicle’s tires were slashed.”  

Even their neighbors have expressed outrage over this crime. Paul Frias, a neighbor of the victims said “It’s just wrong because they flattened the tires, they damaged it…It’s just something you don’t want to see every day because ‘What if that could’ve been my vehicle?’”

According to KTLA, police are investigating this as a hate crime.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time the Scott family has been targeted. Last Halloween, Scott told KTLA5 about another instance of vandalism. They had “cut my truck tires and sprayed some stuff all over it to where I think, ‘They’re starting to up it and we’re starting to get scared being around here.’”

Also, Scott relayed that two years ago someone actually set his truck on fire.

Understandably, his wife is extremely concerned about the safety of her family, over repeated and escalated “incidents of targeted vandalism.”

“She doesn’t want the doors to be unlocked,” says Scott. “She’s pretty much on high alert.”

Scott has “filed a police report of the vandalism and hopes the suspects are caught soon.” But in the interim, the family remains shaken up over what happened and are contemplating relocating their family to a safer location. They have set up a GoFundMe account for those who wish to contribute.

Following this latest act of vandalism toward the Scott family, Tim McOsker, L.A. city councilmember, issued a statement. “I have spoken to LAPD’s Harbor Division leadership and we are very clear that whoever defaced Mr. Scott’s car is to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, specifically as a hate crime.”

“The words and symbols spray-painted on the car cause real, tangible terror and harm to our neighbors and our community. I do not take this lightly,” continued McOsker.

“I have spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Scott to offer my support as they go through this unimaginable pain that their family is dealing with at this time,” McOsker added. “This crime is hateful, deplorable and has no place here in the 15th Council District or anywhere.”