The SFPD is thanking the public for their help after an arrest was made Tuesday in a vandalism case that is being considered a hate crime. 62-year-old John Schenone of San Francisco has been charged with five counts of felony vandalism and five counts of felony hate crime after it is believed he's the person responsible for spray-painting the words 'NO MORE CHINESE' in multiple locations Monday in the Portola and Bayview districts.
As KRON 4 reported Tuesday, the graffiti raised serious concerns in the neighborhoods "about a growing racial divide in the city."
Per a release from the SFPD:
On the morning of September 7, 2015... the words “NO MORE CHINESE” ... [were found] sprayed in orange paint at the following 6 locations: Palega Park, Somerset Street/Silver Avenue at a vacant grocery store, University Street/Bacon Street on the fence of a vacant lot, the 100 Block of Brussels Street on a house under construction, the 100 Block of Brussels Street on a house for sale, and the 1300 Block of Silver on an office building. This incident was immediately determined to be hate motivated and investigated by SFPD’s Special Investigations Division Hate Crime Unit. SID investigators were immediately able to identify a vehicle and person of interest. A crime alert was subsequently distributed throughout the department in an effort to identify the suspect in these incidents.
Then yesterday, September 8, Bayview Station officers spotted an individual and vehicle matching the description from the crime alert, and detained him. Based on evidence they were able to make the arrest, and Schenone was booked in the county jail.
Below, video of several of the vandalized sites on Monday, via KRON 4.