Man accused of vandalizing underpass with Nazi graffiti, faced similar charges in past
SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) – Sandusky police arrested a 23-year-old man who is accused of vandalizing a city underpass with Nazi and white supremacist graffiti Saturday and vandalizing Shoreline Park in February.
Austin Rogers is being held in the Erie County Jail on two counts of vandalism, fifth degree felonies.
“This is not going to be tolerated,” said Sandusky Police Chief Jared Oliver. “Saturday it was reported to us there was hate speech and swastikas spray painted on the underpass on Columbus Avenue. Our officers responded and saw several areas of the underpass that had been vandalized.”
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Crews from the city street department were called to the area immediately and removed the graffiti. Detectives took pictures of the graffiti and started investigating.
“It is his pattern of behavior and it is unacceptable,” Oliver said. “We will continue to arrest him if he is going to continue to do this.”
Rogers recently entered a guilty plea to an ethnic intimidation charge. He was arrested on that charge in September. In that case, police say he left bags containing rice and fliers with racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic language on porches of homes in a couple different Sandusky neighborhoods.
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He also entered guilty pleas to two counts of menacing by stalking in an unrelated case. He is expected to be sentenced on those three charges May 29.
“We are looking forward to the day the court sentences him for this behavior,” the chief said.
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