SWASTIKAS on a wall in Westminster (WPD photo).

Westminster police have arrested a man for allegedly spray-painting graffiti – some of it anti-Semitic – on city walls and property.

According to Commander Michael Harvey, Julio Cesar Lazo, 25, a Huntington Beach resident was arrested and booked into Orange County Jail on charges of committing a hate crime, felony vandalism and possession of a switchblade knife.

Officers responded to the area of Magnolia Street south of Bolsa Avenue following a report of vandalism around 11 p.m. on Friday night.
Police were initially unable to locate a suspect, but when an officer later returned to the area he saw a man – later identified as Lazo – fitting the description provided to them “actively marking a wall, power box, and a fire hydrant.”

When detained by police, Lazo was in possession of graffiti materials and a switchblade knife, according to Harvey.

Officers located several instances of graffiti, including “hate-motivated language and symbols,” including swastikas and anti-Semitic phrases such as “Jews are scum.”

“The Westminster Police Department takes hate crimes and hate-related incidents very seriously,” said WPD Chief Darin Lenyi.  “Acts that target individuals or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic have no place in our community and will be thoroughly investigated. I want to thank the citizen who reported this incident and I encourage community members to promptly report incidents of hate as they play an important role in helping us address these acts and protect our community.”