LEONARDTOWN, Md. - Hate crimes that have been plaguing Charles County have now spread to St. Mary's County. In the morning hours of Monday, May 21, Maryland State Police responded to the report of graffiti spray painted on the Leonardtown Elementary School, which is currently under construction. Police determined that racial slurs had been spray painted on various areas of the building. Police did not specify the exact verbiage that was used in the graffiti.
St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) was notified and is currently investigating the incident. BCI is an investigative team comprised of Detectives from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police, Leonardtown Barrack.
Hate crimes differ from typical crimes, such as vandalism and assault, in that they are intended to terrorize an entire class of people such as a specific race or people of a certain sexual orientation.