STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Sterling Heights police are investigating a vandalism case at Sterling Estates Mobile Home Park, near 19 and a Half Mile and Utica Road, after multiple homes, vehicles, and common areas were vandalized with vulgar, racist, and antisemitic graffiti.
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The vandalism happened around 2 a.m. on May 9. Surveillance video shows the suspects walking between homes in the early morning hours. By morning, residents woke up to find their homes, sheds, and cars covered in black spray paint.
Police say 10 homes, 2 vehicles, a fence, multiple sheds, and a playground were vandalized. The spray paint included vulgar symbols and language, and in some cases was racist and antisemitic.
Haji, a Sterling Estates resident whose home was among those targeted, said he did not know about the vandalism until police came to his door.
"I hadn't known about it until I had been informed that morning by the police," Haji said. "Sterling Heights police stopped by and let me know that some vandals had come through and tagged a bunch of trailers with some spray paint."
After police notified him, Haji inspected his home and discovered he was also a victim.
"I took a look around, and the back end of my trailer had some spray paint on it, looks like scribbles and possibly a phallic symbol, it was done hastily and sloppily," Haji said.
Some of the graffiti has since been cleaned, including from Haji's home.
"By that afternoon, the Sterling Heights had come out, cleaned everything out, power-washed the side of my trailer, and everything was golden," Haji said.
On May 16, around 2 p.m., a security guard at Holy Martyrs Church noticed additional spray-painted graffiti on the exterior fence of Sterling Estates consisting of vulgar, antisemitic language.
The incidents come about one month after Sterling Heights police arrested two 19-year-old men accused of spray painting antisemitic phrases in publicly visible areas throughout the city.
Anyone with information that could help lead to the identification and prosecution of the suspects is encouraged to contact Detective Maciejewski at 586-446-7067.
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