Hate Graffiti Spray Painted on Capital Crescent Trail

A swastika that was spray painted over the weekend on the Capital Crescent Trail near Elm Street in Bethesda has been removed, according to officials.

A photo of the hate graffiti was posted by a Patch reader Saturday on the Bethesda Patch Facebook page. The graffiti was decried by commenters on the Facebook thread, who called the graffiti upsetting and hateful.

“This is both entirely unacceptable and shameful to see in a supposedly enlightened community,” wrote Patch reader Carolyn Elefant via Facebook.

Ken Hartman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase regional services center director, told Patch the graffiti would be removed by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Montgomery County police would also investigate, Hartman said.

“Sadly, we often find the perpetrators of graffiti to be local young people,” Hartmand wrote via Facebook.