Convicted rapist spray-painted swastikas in Ventura while on parole, police say
John Williams, 30, was arrested Sunday and booked at the Ventura County Jail on suspicion of vandalism, a hate crime and a parole violation after officers connected him to at least five reports of spray-painted swastikas, according to the Ventura Police Department.
"It appeared that Williams was spray painting swastikas and then taking photos of them and uploading to social media in an effort to give the appearance that other people were committing hate crimes and spreading fear," the department said in a statement.
Read more: Ex-Torrance police officers charged with spray-painting swastika on car
Williams was convicted of forcible rape in 2019 after pleading guilty to the 2015 crime, according to court records. At the time of his most recent arrest, he was on parole for the rape conviction, Police Department spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Heard confirmed.
The suspected serial swastika spray painter has a history of parole violations, court records show. Just 10 days before his most recent vandalism arrest, he was booked into Ventura County Jail on a parole hold, according to the county's inmate log.
On Sunday morning, the department received a call from a business in the 1000 block of East Front Street near downtown Ventura reporting that someone had spray-painted a swastika on a wall of their property. Officers reviewed surveillance camera video of the crime and identified the suspect as Williams, police said.
Then they received four more calls regarding swastikas spray-painted on public and private property throughout the city.
While investigating the first vandalism, officers spotted Williams riding an electric scooter near Main and Ash streets. They said they made an enforcement stop and found evidence connecting him to the crimes.
Williams is being held on $250,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, according to the county's inmate log.
He was booked on four counts of felony vandalism, one count of misdemeanor vandalism, one count of misdemeanor hate crime, one felony count of violating parole and one misdemeanor count of being in possession of a stun gun with a prior felony conviction, according to the inmate log.
The U.S. has seen a significant surge in antisemitic hate crimes and vandalism in recent years.
Read more: How antisemitism came roaring back into American life
In the 12-month period after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, the Anti-Defamation League reported more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. — a 200% increase from previous years and the highest number recorded. This included more than 1,840 incidents of antisemitic vandalism.
L.A. County saw a 91% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes from 2022 to 2023, the latest year for which data are available. The number of incidents rose to an all-time high of 242 from 124.
In 2023, a Los Angeles man was charged with spray-painting swastikas on more than a dozen vehicles. Swastika graffiti have also been found in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, San Dimas, Calabasas and on the campuses of USC and UCLA.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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