Advertisement Blue Ash community members frustrated after vandals paint hateful messages Swastikas, vulgar symbols, foul language left behind

Vandals left hateful and inappropriate messages in some outdoor areas in Blue Ash leading some to wonder if the incidents are connected.In at least one of the cases, swastikas and foul language were spray-painted in areas where children play.Community members hope the vandals turn themselves in and deal with the consequences.Police have not said if they believe the cases are connected, but the messages are frustrating to the people who found them."Even if it was just some high school kids playing a prank, they have to understand that there are real consequences to their actions," Blue Ash YMCA Program Director Steven Bohne said.Bohne has been wondering who is behind hateful vandalism in the past few weeks.Last week, Blue Ash police took a report of about $5,000 in damage at Summit Park.According to the report, someone spray-painted park signs, swingsets, trees and even a memorial bench with graffiti and foul language and symbols.Before that incident, Bohne found damage at the YMCA's soccer field, where children as young as 3 years old play every weekend."They had sprayed some very inappropriate things all over the field, mostly down on this first field here," he said.Bohne said a storage container was damaged and someone painted swastikas and other symbols, as well as foul words.Much of it is still noticeable, though it has been covered up."There was this on the left. There were a couple symbols that were, there were some very clear hate symbols, and then there were some other ones that looked very similar," Bohne said.Police haven't confirmed if the situations are connected.Bohne said the damage hasn't stopped children from playing but he hopes the culprits understand what they've done."Even if it's a prank, even if there was no real hate behind it, that those symbols will still be interpreted as hateful no matter what your intention is," he said.Bohne said the YMCA has turned surveillance video over to the police and he hopes it will make a difference.He also said they are lucky this time that the vandalism isn't going to cost them too much money to fix.Anyone with information about either of the vandalism cases is asked to call Blue Ash police at 513-745-8555.