Home on John Anderson Drive vandalized with swastika, words 'Get out'

Ormond Beach Observer
News

One local resident on John Anderson Drive awoke on Wednesday, May 11, to find his garage door had been spray-painted with a swastika and the words "Get out," according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office.

According to an incident report, the residence was vandalized sometime between the hours of 10 p.m. the night of Tuesday, May 10, and 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 11. The homeowner told deputies that he had found construction nails in his driveway on April 25, and that his wife has received harassing phone calls from an unknown number.

VSO is asking the public to help them identify a suspect in this case. According to the agency's Facebook page, the damage to the garage was estimated to be more than $200 and less than $1,000, and deputies believe the crime was "prompted by the victim's ethnic origin."

The John Anderson Drive residence was vandalized sometime between the hours of 10 p.m. the night of Tuesday, May 10, and 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 11. Courtesy of VSO

This is not the first antisemitic crime that has recently occurred in or near the city of Ormond Beach. In late February, antisemitic flyers were distributed to homes on Riverside Drive, and in December 2021, two men were arrested by Ormond Beach Police in relation to a series of antisemitic vandalism incidents that caused the city over $2,000 in damages and labor. Neither were convicted; One was ordered to serve 36 months of probation, the other 24.

VSO asks that anyone with information about this crime call Volusia sheriff’s Detective Lecates at 386-804-9083 or via email, [email protected].

For a potential reward of up to $5,000, and to remain anonymous, the public may also submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-TIPS (8477), or through the P3 Tips app.