Graffiti was discovered on the outside of the Old Mission Santa Barbara building and on several pillars on the property early Wednesday, police said. (Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Vandals defaced the Old Mission Santa Barbara overnight, scrawling “rape” on several pillars and misspelling the word “genocide” with red paint on the stone front of the historic building, police said.

The felony vandalism, which is estimated to have caused more than $25,000 in damage, was reported to Santa Barbara police about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, police spokesman Anthony Wagner said.

At least one person broke a small window and splattered red paint on the front door and the brick walkway leading up to the building, Wagner said. The person also wrote “never forget the lives + land stolen” in red paint on another wall on the property.

The mission in Santa Barbara was established in 1786 and was the 10th of 21 California missions founded by the Spanish Franciscans. The property is home to a community of Franciscan friars and has a church, a museum, a cemetery, a mausoleum and 12 acres of gardens.

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