STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - In a shocking incident reminiscent of the hatred in parts of the south in the 1960s, the NYPD has launched an investigation after vandals scratched the phrase "n----- get out" into the hood of the car of a black family on the South Shore of Staten Island.

In addition to the disgusting phrase, "move b---h" was written on the trunk of a 2012 Volkswagen 4-door sedan, which was parked on the street in front of a home on Sneden Avenue near Seguine Place in Annadale, according to an NYPD spokesman.

The vehicle also was scratched in other places and the headlights were damaged, the police spokesman said.

Police were called at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday to the location and talked to the the 42-year-old male victim whose car apparently was vandalized sometime overnight, the spokesman said.

The NYPD's Hate Crimes task force is investigating.

No arrests have been made at this time, the police spokesman said.

A GoFundMe page has been started to pay for repairs for the victim by neighbor Annette Siewert.

"How naive I felt this morning when we woke up to quite possibly the most heinous act we've witnessed together as neighbors," Siewert wrote on GoFundMe. "Something that catapulted us back decades of progress. Our neighbor, whose name he's asked me to keep private, was victim of a hate crime."

"The vandal scratched his hatred all over his vehicle. From bumper to bumper," she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

The victim has rented on the block for more than a year, according to Siewert.

"He's a stand up guy who takes care of his family," Siewert wrote. "This hard working father of 4 (who ages range from 3 months to 16 years old) is involved and dedicated to his family. He had to borrow someone else's car this morning to avoid having to explain to his 9 year old what happened."

While insurance likely will pay for the repairs, the victim will have to pay a deductible, Siewert said.

Donations will go toward the deductible and any additional funds will pay for a family vacation, Siewert told the Advance.

"This expense is not only unexpected but it shouldn't be his responsibility," Siewert wrote. "I'm asking for monetary help in any way you can. No donation is too small. There has to be more good than evil in this world. Let's restore his faith in humanity, together!"