Racist graffiti found along Natomas bike trail
By Eric Stern and Chelsea Phua - Bee Staff Writers
Published 6:34 am PDT Thursday, July 26, 2007
Racist graffiti was found spray-painted along a Natomas bike path Wednesday evening.
The graffiti included swastikas, "kill blacks," "hale(sic) Hitler," profanity, racial epithets and lewd anatomical drawings.
Bill Lackemacher, who was on a bike ride with his daughter Wednesday, took photos of the graffiti and posted it on the blog, Sacramento for Democracy. He described it as "disgusting" and "hate-filled."
"By the looks of their immature graphics and inability to spell, I'd guess it was done by some puerile, pubescent kids," he wrote.
Lackemacher said he called police but was frustrated that authorities consider the incident vandalism, but not a hate crime.
Sacramento police spokesman Sgt. Matt Young said the department is taking the matter seriously.
"We're on it," he said. "We are looking into it."
But he added that graffiti and vandalism are difficult to prevent and to make arrests on.
