Police: Racial Slurs Carved Into Vehicle In Hempfield Township
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HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- State police are searching for the person who committed a string of crimes in Westmoreland County, including carving racial slurs into the exterior of one vehicle.
The incidents are believed to have happened between 11 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday in Maplewood Terrace, a seren, upscale neighborhood tucked away in a woodsy section of Hempfield Township.
This week, the peacefulness and security of the neighborhood were shattered.
Seven cars were vandalized there. Windows were shattered, seats were slashed, and consoles were ransacked.
In the worst attack, a Mercedes-Benz was totaled at the home of a biracial family. Scratched on the trunk of the Benz were the words, "Die [N-word]."
"It's mind-boggling. It's appalling," vandalism victim Angela Blake said. "There's no excuse for it. I don't even know what to say anymore."
There are more ethnic slurs on the hood of the car. The vandals even tried to set the Benz on fire.
State police released an image of a suspect. His face is hard to make out, but the guy has some unique-looking shoes that police hope somebody recognizes.
"It's scary that in this day and age that this is still happening, no matter where you live," Blake said. "Inner city, out here, it doesn't matter."
If caught, the suspect faces serious charges, including ethnic intimidation and attempted arson.
Anyone who may be able to identify the suspect is asked to contact state police.
