The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of hate crimes that occurred between Aug. 30 and Aug. 31. These incidents are the latest in what has become a long string of crimes involving vandalizing property by painting racist and hateful messages on property in Charles County.
Officer D. Almassy was patrolling the 8800 block of Chapel Point Road in La Plata on Aug. 31 at approximately 11 a.m. and observed “KKK” spray painted in fluorescent orange paint in the eastbound lane. After that investigation, he responded to Red Top located at 9940 Crain Highway in La Plata for the report of “KKK” spray painted in the same color across two soda vending machines. The incident occurred between 7 p.m. Aug. 30 and 10:30 a.m. Aug. 31.
The Sheriff’s Office is also investigating a third incident that occurred overnight in Nanjemoy. Suspect(s) spray painted “KKK,” “White Power,” other racially offensive language and an unknown symbol on signs located at Friendship Farm Park off of Friendship Landing Road. The offensive remarks were also spray painted in fluorescent orange paint. Officers responded there at 8:30 a.m.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the possibility that these incidents are related to a similar incident at the historic Port Tobacco Courthouse in which suspect(s) spray painted “KKK” in fluorescent orange spray paint on a well house. That incident occurred sometime between 1 p.m. Aug. 25 and 1 p.m. Aug. 26.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact Charles County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest or indictment.