Police search for vandals who spray painted swastikas in Chester County

TREDYFFRIN TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Hate crimes have spiked since 2022, with experts saying that incidents of reported antisemitism rose to a record high across the U.S. as a whole.

And recently in Tredyffrin Township, swastikas were discovered to have been spray-painted over signs throughout the town.

READ | Anti-Defamation League reports record number of antisemitic incidents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey

"I'm a Holocaust survivor and it just hit me between the eyes," said Howard Griffel of Chesterbrook.

Griffel is reliving the pain of his past after discovering the swastikas around the area.

"First shock, then sadness. There were tears and then anger," he recalled.

He took several photos of the vandalism and notified the police immediately. Within 24 hours, the hate symbols were removed.

But, it's not the first time something like this has happened. Police arrested a suspect in a similar incident that happened in March.

"We ended up arresting a 15-year-old male juvenile for those crimes," said Lieutenant Tyler Moyer from the Tredyffrin Township police. "We didn't have any for about three weeks, and last week they started popping up again."

Sadly the hate didn't stop. Police say seven other incidents happened in a matter of three days last week.

Tracking down those vandals is proving difficult, however, so officials are asking for the community's help.

"If you live near Chesterbrook, behind the Gateway Shopping Center, on Devon State Road, check your doorbell cameras, check your surveillance cameras, and see if you notice any unusual people or vehicles in that area between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m.," said Moyer.

Whoever vandalized the neighborhood is facing criminal mischief and ethnic intimidation charges.