A Berkeley mural honoring immigrants and refugees was splattered with white paint overnight last Wednesday, and police say the same vandal also poured paint over a car parked in a driveway one block away. The Berkeley Police Department is now working on investigative leads, including video footage showing a person of interest walking through the neighborhood carrying what appears to be a can of paint.
The mural, titled Sinbad Voyage, covers an exterior wall of Bi-Rite Liquor at the corner of Sacramento Street and Dwight Way in Central Berkeley, according to KRON4. The 28-by-14-foot artwork was painted in spring 2023 by Iranian-born artist Mokhtar Paki, who fled Iran on horseback in 1983 and settled in Berkeley in 1987, according to the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies. Paki has described the mural as his love letter to Berkeley.
Portraits of Real Immigrants, Inspired by Global Crises
Sinbad Voyage features portraits of actual Berkeley immigrants and was inspired by global migration crises, including an estimated 29,000 migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea between 2014 and 2022, as well as U.S. border policies, per Berkeley Speaks. That scope helps explain why the mural's defacement struck such a nerve locally, beyond the damage to a single wall.
The vandalism happened last Wednesday. The same night, white paint was poured over a car parked in a driveway one block from the mural — a Tesla on Spaulding Avenue, one block east of Sacramento Street, where the owner was able to power-wash the paint off, according to the Berkeley Scanner's reporting. Berkeley police initially noted they had received no formal crime report over the weekend immediately following the incident, but opened a public safety investigation as public concern grew, the outlet reported.
Community Rallies With Flowers and Signs
After the vandalism was discovered, Paki posted “STAY WITH IMMIGRANTS!” on Instagram, which prompted local residents to place flowers and signs of solidarity at the base of the mural outside Bi-Rite Liquor. Berkeley police have since thanked neighbors and community members who provided information and support during the investigation.
The Berkeley Police Department said the vandalism occurred during a period of heightened community anxiety about being targeted because of identity or origin, per KRON4. Detectives are actively pursuing investigative leads, including the video showing a person of interest carrying what appears to be a paint can, though police have not publicly identified that individual or confirmed a bias motive.
Statewide Numbers Add Context
The case lands amid a broader rise in bias-related incidents tracked statewide. California Department of Justice data shows reported hate crime events involving citizenship status bias jumped from 16 in 2024 to 40 in 2025, while anti-Hispanic or Latino bias events grew by 30.3% over the same period. Alameda County law enforcement agencies reported 160 hate crime offenses in 2023, according to the same state data.
Whether this case will be classified as a hate crime remains an open question. Under California Penal Code Section 594, defacing property with paint is charged as felony vandalism if the damage is valued at $400 or more, carrying potential penalties of up to three years in county jail and fines up to $10,000, according to the Shouse Law Group. Prosecutors can also attach hate crime enhancements under Penal Code Section 422.7 to underlying property crimes if evidence proves the act was specifically motivated by bias against a protected characteristic such as nationality or citizenship status, per the California Department of Justice — but police have not yet declared that bias motive confirmed, nor released a damage estimate.
The Berkeley Police Department is asking anyone with information about the vandalism to contact the BPD Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.
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