The city of Long Beach is offering an $8,000 reward for any information regarding the vandalism of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue at King Park.
The Long Beach Police Department also shared a social media post asking for “information that would lead to the arrest & conviction of the suspect(s) involved in this crime.”
The statue was vandalized in early July with anti-Semitic graffiti.
LBPD arrived at the park on Friday, July 2 around 3:20 p.m. after receiving reports the statue had been vandalized.
Officers saw graffiti covering the front of the statue, Long Beach police spokesman Richard Mejia said in a statement. The statue had been spray-painted with a black swastika on the chest and SS bolts on a leg, according to a photo shared to Twitter. Police did not release a photo of the vandalized statue.
The graffiti has since been removed. City officials said a hate crime investigation is underway.
Mayor Robert Garcia shared on Twitter that the statue was vandalized with “horrific graffiti.” He condemned the action, saying, “Our MLK statue is a symbol of hope and justice for the community. This hate and desecration has no place in our city.”
The park changed its name to King Park after King was assassinated in 1968 to honor his legacy.
Anyone with information can contact LBPD at 562-570-7250 or submit anonymously by calling 800-222-TIPS or visiting http://lacrimestoppers.org.