Nanaimo RCMP are searching for a single suspect believed to have spray-painted a large red swastika on the window of a central Nanaimo business last week.
Staff at the business showed up to work on Friday, Oct. 15 to find someone had graffitied their storefront overnight with the offensive symbol, police said in a Friday news release.
“They immediately reported it to the police,” said the statement. “After taking a picture and ensuring the police saw it, they went about removing all traces of it.”
Security footage captured the suspect, who is described as “possibly female” with “distinctive bright orange hair.” They were wearing a puffy blue jacket and white pants, and standing near a yellow backpack.
Nanaimo RCMP said it would not distribute a photo of the graffiti, because of “what these images represent.”
It’s the second such incident in the region this month.
On Oct. 13, another swastika was found drawn in cement in the area of Cameron Island. No suspect was identified, but police said it was “possibly related” to the Oct. 14 vandalism.
The Mounties are asking anyone with information on either incident or anyone who can identify the person in the photo to contact their non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and reference the file number 2021-38490.