S.F. man convicted of hate crimes in anti-Chinese graffiti case

John Sche none, 62, went on an anti-Chinese vandalism outburst. John Sche none, 62, went on an anti-Chinese vandalism outburst. Photo: Courtesy, San Francisco Police Department Photo: Courtesy, San Francisco Police Department Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close S.F. man convicted of hate crimes in anti-Chinese graffiti case 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

A San Francisco man has been convicted of spray-painting anti-Chinese graffiti around the southeast part of the city.

A jury convicted John Schenone, 62, of seven misdemeanor counts of vandalism and six misdemeanor counts of a hate crime by way of defacing property in connection with the graffiti discovered in September.

“Racism has no place in San Francisco,” District Attorney George Gascón said after the Superior Court jury returned the verdicts Thursday. “We pride ourselves on being a diverse, tolerant and inclusive city. Actions such as these strike at the heart of who we are and the values we hold dear.”

The orange graffiti, reading “no more Chinese,” was discovered Sept. 7 at six locations in the Portola and Bayview neighborhoods. According to public records, Schenone lived less than a mile from the majority of the locations.

Authorities said Schenone targeted mostly vacant properties, including a house under construction, another being sold on the 100 block of Brussels Street and a fence at an empty lot at University and Bacon streets.

Investigators connected the graffiti to Schenone through surveillance-camera footage that showed the same 1980s-era white pickup truck at two of the locations. After executing a search warrant, investigators found the truck at Schenone’s home and paint like that used at all the graffiti locations.

Community members rallied to condemn the graffiti, something Assistant District Attorney Myles Campbell said had helped to lead to a quick arrest.

Deputy Public Defender Bonnie Chan, Schenone’s attorney, said she planned to appeal the verdicts.

“We all have a constitutional right to express our opinions, however unpopular they may be with the public,” she said. “Mr. Schenone did not threaten, target or physically harm a single person. Like it or not, racism alone is not a crime. From the beginning, this case has been based on emotions rather than law.”

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo