A 19-year-old from Alabama has been charged for a spate of hate-filled vandalism in Nashville's Sylvan Park neighborhood. In a series of attacks that have roiled the community, five homes were defaced with swastikas and hate messages more than a year ago. The young man, an alleged member of a white supremacist group, was 17 at the time of the crimes and has not been named due to his age when the vandalism occurred.
According to FOX 17, the heinous acts were captured on surveillance footage that showed two individuals wearing masks, one of who quickly spray-painted over a camera lens before they went on to mar the homes with their messages of hate. The arrest came as a result of a tip-off that the suspect would be present at a local concert in the Madison area on Sunday, where the suspect was apprehended without incident by Nashville detectives.
In response to the events, an immediate increase in police presence was ordered by Metro Police Chief John Drake, who has been determined to reassure the community and deter further incidents. The houses, located on Westlawn Drive, and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho Avenues, were not the only property harmed in the vandalizing spree. A Colombian flag was also stolen, reports WKRN News 2.
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a case that has stoked fear and unease across Sylvan Park. Charged with five counts each of vandalism, criminal conspiracy, criminal trespassing, civil rights intimidation, and an additional count of theft, the suspect is currently being processed by law enforcement. "The vandalism occurred at homes on Westlawn Drive, and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho Avenues," police detailed in an account provided by WSMV.
