A Mid-Wilshire car owner says he pulled the cover off his vehicle this weekend and found a shocking scene: “KKK” carved and painted into the body, along with other racial slurs, leaving the car heavily damaged and kicking off a formal LAPD hate-crime investigation.
As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the vehicle, a 2016 Dodge Charger, had been parked and covered on Orange Drive near Olympic Boulevard for about a week before the owner uncovered it on Saturday morning. Investigators told the outlet they believe the suspect caused thousands of dollars in damage and said that as of Monday, no arrests had been made.
Police asking for video and tips
The Los Angeles Police Department is urging anyone who might have surveillance footage, doorbell camera clips or cellphone video from the area to come forward to help track down whoever is responsible. According to the LAPD’s hate-crime guidance, detectives routinely seek tips, photos and video to help establish motive and identify suspects, and the department asks residents to preserve any media they have and share it with investigators.
What the law says
Under California law, intentionally damaging property to intimidate someone because of a protected characteristic can be prosecuted as a hate crime. The statute is laid out in Penal Code §422.6, summarized by FindLaw, and aggravating factors and enhanced penalties are described in Penal Code §422.7, detailed by FindLaw, which can increase punishments when property damage or other circumstances meet certain thresholds.
Where this fits in wider trends
The case lands amid ongoing concern about bias-motivated crime in California. The Attorney General’s 2024 hate-crime report documented a 2.7% increase in reported hate-crime events from 2023 to 2024. The Attorney General’s office also publishes victim resources and a rapid-response protocol that local agencies can request in major incidents…