Police investigating swastika and ‘Trump’ painted on Bay Area home as possible hate crime

Investigators are trying to determine who spray-painted a swastika and the word “Trump” on a Bay Area garage door.

The Lafayette Police Department received reports of the vandalism near Lafayette Circle on Tuesday.

“There is no place for hate in Lafayette,” Mayor Mike Anderson said in a written statement.

“This is an inclusive and diverse city where everyone is welcome,” Anderson wrote. “The spray-painting of a swastika, a symbol of oppression, genocide and xenophobia, on an individual’s home will not be tolerated.”

Lafayette police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and have contacted the FBI, Anderson said, adding that the perpetrators will be “vigorously prosecuted.”

In a Facebook post, the homeowner shared an image of the graffiti and expressed hope that the “horrendous” event would unite people against hate, oppression and racism.

“Regardless of the zip code they reside in, they are obviously not of my community,” she wrote of the perpetrators. “Community is so much more [than] that. Community is in your head and heart.”

She did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lafayette spokesman Jeff Heyman said similar graffiti was found on an overpass in nearby Orinda within the last couple of days, although he would not go so far as to call it a pattern.

Contra Costa County, where Orinda and Lafayette are both located, has leaned blue in recent years. According to the California secretary of state, 52% of the county’s roughly 675,000 registered voters are Democrats and 19% are Republicans.

“We beg you to let this message of hate and violence underscore the importance of how we all show up in this moment,” the homeowner wrote. “We have 6 days until the next election. ... Please help spread a call to action in the name of love and acceptance.”

Officials are asking anyone with more information to contact detectives at (925) 383-3680.