Dana Point man charged with hate crimes suspected of graffiti defacing Latina mural in Costa Mesa – Orange County Register

A Dana Point man has been charged with a hate crime after a local mural dedicated to Latina women was defaced with slurs against white supremacists, Orange County Attorney General officials announced Tuesday, January 31.

Last October, the Costa Mesa Police Department responded to the 3000 block of Killybrooke near Baker Street after the local mural “Las Poderosas,” created in 2020 honoring eight strong Latina women, was defaced. According to a press release from the District Attorney, witnesses reported seeing a man spray-painting white racial slurs on the mural. Police later identified the suspect as a 27-year-old man from Dana Point.

“Art is one of the many beautiful ways we tell the story of who we are and where we come from,” the district attorney’s press release said. “It is heartbreaking to see how the stories of such powerful women who overcame incredible obstacles to succeed are tainted with such hatred.”

The suspect was arrested Monday by the Costa Mesa Police Department at the Harbor Justice Center after appearing on an unrelated case. He faces charges of vandalism with an offense compounding a hate crime. The case is being prosecuted by Cliff Page, Senior Deputy District Attorney for the Gangs/TARGET Unit.