Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Anti-Government Graffiti Hits Staten Island Stores, Police Say

By Nicholas Rizzi | February 20, 2015 4:41pm
Staten Island Graffiti Suspect
View Full Caption
NYPD

NEW DORP — Vandals painted anti-government and anti-Semitic graffiti on six local businesses and defaced a pair of murals of the American flag, according to police and residents.

Police found anti-government messages like "End the Fed B-tchs," "End the Fed Aghkenazi Jews," and and "F--k Obama" spray painted to the walls of banks and businesses on Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp Lane.

Authorities say the vandalism spree was first spotted on Feb. 12, when the suspect sprayed "End the Fed" on the wall of the Chase Bank at 2754 Hylan Blvd.

The suspect also spray-painted similar messages on the Chase Bank at 200 New Dorp Lane, the BCB Bank at 356 New Dorp Lane, on a children's clothing store at 2750 Hylan Blvd. and the Something Sweet Ice Cream Parlor at 319 New Dorp Lane, police said.

The last graffiti found was on Wednesday at the Satandar Bank, 2700 Hylan Blvd., where the suspect painted "End the Fed" on the wall.

Police released surveillance video of the suspect on Thursday, and were still looking for him as of Friday.

Aside from the banks and businesses, two American flag murals painted by artist Scott LoBaido were defaced with anti-Semitic messages this week. Another flag was defaced with graffiti reading "F--K Scott LoBaido," according to Dennis McKeaon of Where to Turn, who helped organize the painting of the murals.

"Most of these flags have been up over 8 years, none of them have been defaced like these last two," McKeaon said.

Aside from the flags, McKeaon said he found another one that read "WWIII is coming. Zionist Home School Your Children" on the wall of Beach Bum Tanning, 2381 Hylan Blvd.

Police said they don't believe the messages found on LoBaido's pieces were related to the other vandal.

But McKeaon said he thinks it could be the same person and has raised $1,750 to offer as a reward for the vandal's capture.

"I believe that this is a single person doing it and obviously the guy's not thinking sanely," McKeaon said. "I don't think it was so much vandalizing the flag, as it was to draw attention to what they were writing."

As of Friday, McKeaon said he painted over two of the graffiti and police cleaned up the rest. He's also working with another artist to restore the flags, because LoBaido recently left Staten Island to paint flags across the country.

Anyone with information in regards to any of these incidents is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.