Redondo Beach Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Hate Crime, Vandalism

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Redondo Beach police Friday arrested a 48-year-old Redondo Beach man on suspicion of a hate crime and vandalism caught on a resident's surveillance camera in August.

Randall Michael Walton was arrested Friday on suspicion of vandalism and "interference with exercise of civil rights because of actual or perceived characteristics of victim," according to Sgt. Mark Valdivia of the Redondo Beach Police Department in a news release.

The incident happened on Aug. 29 at 8:10 a.m. when a resident reported a vandalized Black Lives Matter sign in the 500 block of South Helberta Avenue. The sign was made by a resident and it was defaced with racist, derogatory language, police said.

"Surveillance video was provided to investigators by the owner of the property," police said in a news release. "Based on the language used to deface the sign, Redondo Beach Police Department investigated this incident as a hate crime."

Police received a tip Thursday that identified Walton as a suspect. Detectives contacted Walton at his Redondo Beach home Friday.

Walton was booked at Redondo Beach Police Department Friday.

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