Swastikas spray-painted in Mount Pleasant under investigation
An investigation is underway in Westmoreland County after hateful graffiti was found spray-painted throughout Mount Pleasant.
The signs of several local businesses, including restaurants, a law office and a chiropractic office, were vandalized this week. Several stop signs and yard signs were also hit with what appears to be swastikas spray-painted on them.
"Our community has no room for this in it. We don't have room for hate," said resident Jessica Grundy.
Grundy said she first noticed hate symbols on stop signs near her home while walking her kids to the bus stop on Tuesday morning.
"Seeing something so hateful straight out as soon as you're walking to school was, it just took me by surprise, and then I was angry," Grundy said. "I stopped and was kind of dumbfounded, and my kids saw the look on my face and was like, 'What is that? What's wrong? What's that symbol?'"
Chiropractic Sports Rehab & Wellness took to social media to condemn the incident after their sign was vandalized.
"Todd, Jillian and I are absolutely disgusted with that happened to our sign last night," wrote Gregory Wilson, a certified chiropractic sports practitioner.
"We have so much hate across the country and across the world. I had hoped that it would never hit here, but I believe it was young people," said Mount Pleasant Borough Mayor Diane Bailey.
Bailey told KDKA-TV that she believes a group of young kids or teens may have been behind it.
"The swastika is such a sign across the world, I would have hoped that they would have learned about it by this age, but maybe not," Bailey said. "It's just a shame that it happened here."
Mount Pleasant police are asking the public to report the graffiti to police before cleaning it off.
State police are also investigating and are asking anyone with information on who may be behind it to call 911.
"I hope that if the person who is doing this and is watching it takes away that it's not accepted in this community. We don't have room for it, and let's show some love," Grundy said.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh released a statement to KDKA-TV saying, "The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh condemns the appearance of swastikas and other hate symbols in Mt. Pleasant. They have no place in our region. We are in close contact with law enforcement, as we are whenever incidents like this occur, to help ensure the safety of our community."
