SCHENECTADY -- The man accused of spray painting black swastikas on his own home and falsely reporting it to police as hateful graffiti was arraigned Tuesday morning in City Court.

Judge Robert Hoffman set Andrew King's bail at $500. He was expected to released from custody after posting bail.

King, 54, called police on Feb. 10 to report someone had vandalized his 523 Chiswell R0ad home with Nazi symbols overnight, Schenectady spokesman Sgt. Matt Dearing said.

After a five-week investigation, police arrested King at 5 p.m. Monday and charged him with misdemeanor falsely reporting an incident. Dearing said detectives believe King painted the graffiti himself.

King was also arrested on an outstanding Schenectady police warrant and ticketed with harassment. King allegedly made threats to harm an individual on Feb. 15 at 620 State Street, a county office complex, Dearing said.

His arrest comes amid a wave of hateful vandalism across the state and country. In January, swastikas were scrawled across buildings, signs and a church in Esperance, a small village in Schoharie County. Police later arrested a 13-year-old boy in connection with the graffiti.

The State Police doubled the number of biased crime specialists in their ranks to deal with a six-fold increase in reports of hate crimes in the last six months, First Deputy Superintendent Christopher Fiore said March 9.

"We've noticed a definite uptick," Fiore said.

On Feb. 10, King, who is Jewish, told the Daily Gazette of Schenectady that he intended to leave the anti-semitic symbols on his house.

"This can show people who thrive on hate, in my opinion, that love trumps hate in the long run," King told the Daily Gazette. "I will consult with the religious community and see how long we should leave them up, Jewish, Christian and Muslim."

King was held in Schenectady City lock-up Monday night before his Tuesday arraignment.

Paul Nelson contributed to this report.