Racist graffiti prompts Palo Alto hate crime investigation

Police in Palo Alto are investigating a vandalism incident discovered on Wednesday at a parking garage as a hate crime.

Police said the suspect wrote racial epithets on a concrete support pillar in the parking garage.

Officers with the Palo Alto Police Department responded Wednesday at 8:42 p.m. to a parking garage at 528 High Street on a report of graffiti found in the parking garage.

A responding officer located writings in black marker on a concrete support pillar that included racial epithets directed at Black people.

Police notified a public works crew to remove the graffiti.

Police said there is no suspect information currently available, and there is no known connection between this case and three other hate crime vandalism incidents that have occurred in public spaces in 2021.