A Ventura man is facing felony vandalism and hate crime charges after he allegedly spray-painted a series of swastikas throughout the city, officials announced Friday.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office identified the man as 32-year-old John Williams.
Police arrested Williams on Sunday, March 30, after he allegedly spray-painted at least five swastikas on public and private properties in Ventura and then documented and posted them on his social media accounts.
When officers first responded to a report from a business regarding graffiti on their property, they found a swastika and the words “VC Pride” tagged on a wall, according to the DA’s Office.
Further investigation revealed four more reports of similar graffiti, and officers soon observed surveillance footage of Williams at two of the locations around the time the vandalism occurred.
Officers later found Williams riding an electric scooter and, after stopping him, found evidence connecting him to the vandalism.
Further investigation into Williams’ social media showed he had taken photos of the swastikas that he painted and made it appear that other people were committing the crimes.
On April 4, the DA’s Office said Williams was charged with three felony counts of vandalism for damage exceeding $400, three felony hate crime counts of placing a terrorizing symbol on private property, two misdemeanor counts of vandalism and one misdemeanor count of possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon.
“He also faces special allegations for committing the crimes while on parole and having a prior strike conviction,” added the DA’s Office in a release.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, court records show Williams was convicted of forcible rape in 2019 after pleading guilty to the 2015 crime.
The report added that at the time of his most recent arrest, Williams was purportedly on parole for the rape conviction.
Williams pleaded not guilty to all charges on April 2, and his early disposition conference is set for April 11.
“Vandalism involving vile symbols like swastikas is more than just property damage,” said Ventura County DA Erik Nasarenko. “It is a hate-filled message intended to spread fear, sow division, and endanger our communities.”
Williams remains in custody with bail set at $250,000, according to the DA’s Office.
