Suspect In Racist Bay Point Vandalism Arrested: Cops

BAY POINT, CA — A suspect who allegedly vandalized three homes in Bay Point, including spray-painting racial slurs, was arrested Friday but investigators are not considering the act a hate crime because of a prior relationship between the suspect and one of the victims.

Alvin Brown, 63, is suspected of vandalizing three homes in the 200 block of El Rincon Road early Wednesday morning. The vandalism included the spray-painted slurs and a rock thrown through a window.

A black family lives in each of the three homes vandalized, sheriff's spokesperson Jimmy Lee said. But despite that and the presence of racial slurs in the vandalism, investigators believe that Brown allegedly painted the racial slurs in an effort to hide his true motive.

Brown "has a personal relationship with one of the victims," said sheriff's Capt. Melissa Klawuhn. She said it does not appear to be a hate crime but "an attempt to make the vandalism appear to be racially motivated and we're confident that's not the case."

Klawuhn said the nature of the relationship between Brown and the victim remains under investigation.

Sheriff's detectives are also investigating whether Brown is responsible for a similar vandalism case on the same street in 2015 and whether there are other people involved.

Klawuhn said that detectives have interviewed other people who may be involved but have made no arrests.

Sheriff's officials obtained a warrant for Brown's arrest and took him into custody at about 1 a.m. Friday. Klawuhn said that Brown lives in Oakland but also has ties to the Bay Point area.

He was booked into jail in Martinez on $80,000 bail. Detectives will present the case to the district attorney's office on Monday for potential criminal charges, Klawuhn said.

The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information about the case to contact detectives at 925-313-2600 or via email at tips@so.cccounty.us.

— Bay City News Service