Watch CBS News

Video shows person wanted for spray painting racist graffiti on Roxborough High School walls

Philadelphia Police have released images of a suspect they say spray painted racist and antisemitic graffiti outside Roxborough High School over the weekend.

Early Sunday morning, surveillance cameras captured the person walking onto school property and using spray paint to write offensive messages on the exterior walls of the school, police say.

The video released Wednesday shows a person clad in a gray hooded jacket and pants, orange scarf, a gray and black backpack and a green and black winter hat. They also appear to be holding a long pink object with a handle in their right hand.

roxborough-high-school-vandalism-suspect-philadelphia.jpg
Philadelphia Police

Police said the male suspect was seen approaching the school from the west side, walking eastbound on Fountain Street toward Pechin Street, before going to the walls around back. The suspect was last seen headed toward Ridge Avenue.

After the graffiti was discovered, some people wrote positive messages in chalk outside Roxborough High School like "peace" and "come together." The offensive graffiti was later removed.

roxborough-high-school-reaction-to-racist-graffiti-with-positive-messages.jpg
Positive messages were written in chalk outside Roxborough High School in Philadelphia after the community learned someone had spraypainted racist graffiti on the walls of the building over the weekend. CBS News Philadelphia

Police are asking anyone with information on the suspect's identity to contact the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353 or submit an anonymous tip on Phillypolice.com.

The School District of Philadelphia said it has a "zero-tolerance policy" for harassment and hate speech, and that any incident involving either will be investigated. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue