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Public Safety

Suspect jailed in hate graffiti case in Hillcrest

The Hillcrest neighborhood sign hangs over University Avenue, Oct. 14, 2022.
The Hillcrest neighborhood sign hangs over University Avenue, Oct. 14, 2022.

A man was jailed today on suspicion of taking part in hate-motivated tagging crimes in Hillcrest last summer.

Daniel Thomas Coad, 21, was arrested in connection with spray-painted graffiti, including a swastika and an anti-LGBTQ+ message, that appeared on walls and trash cans in the area of Fifth Avenue and Robinson Street in late July, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Investigators were able to identity Coad and a second person as suspects in the case via images of a vehicle captured by a surveillance camera, SDPD Capt. Matt Dobbs said.

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"The San Diego Police Department is committed to ensuring a safe space for all members of our community, and acts of hate such as this will not be tolerated," the captain said.

The second suspect, whose name has not been released, remains at large.

Coad was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of felony vandalism. He was being held on $20,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday.

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