QUEENS — A swastika and "KKK" were found drawn in the snow at a Queens park Wednesday morning, prompting the NYPD to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime, officials said.
The signs were first spotted in Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village by a woman walking her dog around 7:45 a.m.
"These are the images I encountered in the park," Eileen O'Gara Linzer, 38, who lives in the area with her family, wrote of her discovery on Facebook.
"Down the block from where my Jewish husband and half-Jewish children are currently living. In one of the most diverse places on earth, and one of our most beloved — Queens NY."
► READ MORE: DNAinfo's Map of Reported Hate Crimes
The incident is currently being probed by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, according to Deputy Inspector Mark Wachter, commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, who was at the scene Wednesday morning after Parks Department employees brushed away the markings.
Courtesy of Eileen O'Gara Linzer
"Hate has no place in our parks," said Queens Borough Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. "When offensive hate speech is discovered, NYC Parks works with NYPD to remove it immediately."
Local residents were stunned to learn about the incident.
Reggie Kasic, 75, who lives a few blocks away and walks around Juniper Valley Park every day, said, "It's not something that happens here at all."
Click below to see the reports of hate crimes across NYC:
