Vandals target day care for autistic children in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating after a sign was vandalized outside a day care for autistic children.

At Autism R.E.C on South 26th Street, they offer before and after-school care, therapy, and various activities for autistic children and teens to help build social and life skills.

Tamika Hassan, of West Philadelphia, brings her son there every day.

"Sometimes she's here before 7 o'clock in the morning. You can't find that no place, and he's safe," Hassan said.

But recently a vandal violated that sense of security after hateful messages were scrawled across a banner outside.

Autism R.E.C Founder and Executive Director Jamila Tucker-Mulero says she first noticed it Wednesday morning.

"Once I saw the 'R-word,' that just, like it hurt my heart. My heart sunk. I thought we moved away from that word a long time ago," Tucker-Mulero said.

On Wednesday afternoon Tucker-Mulero had kids use a different entrance so they wouldn't see the words written on the banner.

"This is like their home away from home, so I want them to feel as comfortable as possible here. That could have made it so that they're not comfortable here anymore. That could've hurt them just as much as it hurt me," said Tucker-Mulero.

"Why would somebody want to do that?" questioned Hassan.

"That's horrible, that's cruel and it's not right for you to use those type of words for these children."

Police were at the day care Thursday speaking with Tucker-Mulero, but for now it's a mystery as to who did this and why.

"I'm not gonna let this stop us, I mean, it did discourage me a little bit, but I'm not going to let this stop us," Tucker-Mulero said.

Tucker-Mulero says there are no surveillance cameras outside the facility that meets in the basement of a church. She said she wishes she could install them but that's something the nonprofit cannot afford.