Swastikas, Racial Slurs Spray-Painted In Royal Oak Neighborhood

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - The Royal Oak police chief calls it a terrible situation: Swastikas and racial slurs spray-painted in a neighborhood over the weekend.

Cars, homes and fences were tagged east of Woodward Avenue between 11 Mile Road and Catalpa, according to the Detroit Free Press, not far from the downtown area.

Nazi symbols appeared in red spray paint, according to police, along with the phrase "white power" at several locations.

Investigators believe the vandalism happened overnight Saturday or early Sunday, sometime before 6 a.m., when the Free Press said it was first reported.  It's unclear at this time of certain residents were targeted or if it was a random crime.

No suspects have been described. Investigators are speaking to residents and checking surveillance video as an investigation continues.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Royal Oak Police at 248-246-3500.

Also in a similar case over the weekend, vandals left messages of hate on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. Three black students at U-M's west quad were targeted when vandals defaced the name tags on their doors with racial slurs. Campus police are investigating.