Nashville police: Alabama suspect charged in 2023 Sylvan Park swastikas, hate messages crime
A supposed member of a white supremacist group was arrested Sunday after swastikas and hate messages were spray painted on five Sylvan Park area homes in Nashville last year.
A 19-year-old from Alabama, who was not named by police, is the suspect in the case. Surveillance video from the vandalism showed two people in masks when the vandalism occurred during the early morning hours of March 19, 2023.
More: Nashville police searches for suspects in vandalism in Sylvan Park neighborhood
The suspect arrested is "an alleged member of a white supremacist group," a news release by Nashville police said.
Charges include five counts of vandalism, five counts of engaging in a criminal conspiracy, five counts of criminal trespassing, five counts of civil rights intimidation, and one count of theft.
The suspect was 17 when the alleged crimes took place, police said.
Video from one of the homes showed two masked men approaching the porch, police said. One of the individuals sprayed paint over the camera lens before hate messages were spray painted on the property and a Colombian flag was taken, according to police.
Detectives had information the 19-year-old was likely to be at a concert event in the Madison area Sunday night.
The suspect was spotted and taken into custody without incident.
The vandalism occurred at homes on Westlawn Drive and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho avenues, according to police.
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville make arrest for 2023 swastikas, hate messages in Sylvan Park
