Racist Messages Spray-Painted on Chicago's South Side

“I was hurt, really hurt,” one victim said

Police are searching for suspects in connection with a series of vandalism incidents involving racially charged messages spray-painted on cars and garages in a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.

The first incident was reported Friday morning in the Morgan Park neighborhood after a 54-year-old woman told police she woke up and found her car, her daughter’s car and their garage spray painted with offensive and hateful messages.

The woman said both cars were parked in an alley behind their home near 108th and Hermosa Streets, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Janel Sedevic.

Marsha Eaglin said two of her cars were tagged with similar racial slurs.

“We’re really shocked,” she said. “N-word, F-U, N-word misspelled, we don’t know what was going on in their heads.”

Eaglin said her daughter made the discovery as she walked out of their home on Hermosa Street.

“My daughter kept saying ‘Is this 2014 or are we in 1950 or 60?’” Eaglin said.

On Saturday, a similar incident was reported when a 54-year-old woman told police her garage and car had been vandalized with spray paint and that the messages were offensive and hateful, police said.

Cheryl James was still scrubbing the graffiti, which included the “N-word” and other racially charged messages, off her car Sunday morning.

“I was hurt, really hurt,” she said. “I really didn’t know what to think.”

Eaglin and James said other neighbors in the area were tagged with the same messages.

“They hit my car, our two cars, and two other cars down the street from me on my block,” Eaglin said.

Chicago police said Area South detectives are investigating the vandalism.

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