Swastikas found spray painted in Sienna Plantation

MISSOURI CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Detectives are looking for whoever is responsible for painting swastikas on fences, signs and homes in a Fort Bend County neighborhood.

Investigators say they are aware of two properties in Sienna Plantation that appear to have been targeted on Jan. 29 and 31. In the earlier case, someone placed a "Trump" sign with a swastika spray painted on it onto a fence. There was other spray painting also on that fence.

Then, another homeowner discovered swastikas painted on both their garage and fence, with yet another painted on a common area fence elsewhere in the neighborhood.

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"It's a hate crime. When you look at a swastika, you know it means hate. That's what it means," said one of the homeowners, who asked not to be identified, citing concerns about her safety and that of her family.

"What would make a person do that?" she asked.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office says it is investigating the incidents as a hate crime, adding that two of the victims are minorities.

Cleanup is underway. A good Samaritan who lives nearby took it upon himself to pressure wash the fences.

Those who live nearby are frustrated by the vandalism.

"I was initially thinking: Who would do something like that? Something that's never happened before," said homeowner Sheeba Jacob. She doesn't think this was a hate crime, but rather teens with no respect for property or its value.

"I'd like to know why they're doing it," she said. If this is an attempt to express free speech, she says there are better ways.

Anybody with information about the vandalism is asked to contact Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at (281) 342- TIPS and possibly qualify for a reward of up to $5,000.