Reward Offered In Series Of Religious Hate Crimes In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities sought the public's help Tuesday in identifying a suspect in a series of hate crime vandalism cases in San Diego.

The crimes, which started in December 2024 and have continued until the most recent cases this month, include graffiti on churches and religious shrines of different denominations in the neighborhoods of Bankers Hill, Golden Hill, Hillcrest and North Park, according to the San Diego Police Department. The graffiti contained slurs targeting specific religions.

Police said surveillance cameras on each of the properties captured footage of the suspect.

"The suspect always arrives on foot during the early-morning hours, completes the vandalism using black spray-paint, and leaves on foot," the department said. "The victims have been the target on numerous previous incidents."

The suspect was described as a heavyset white man between 25 and 30 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark frame eyeglasses, a dark face covering on his face, dark pants and black shoes with a white sole. He sometimes wears a sweatshirt with the words "BLTS SWATS" printed on the front, police said.

Authorities urged anyone with information about the identity or location of the suspect to contact the department's Criminal Intelligence Unit at 619-531-2331 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Crime Stoppers, in partnership with the San Diego GLBTQ+ Historic Task Force and the Hate Crime Fund, was offering a $2,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.