Richland County deputies said a 13-year-old is being charged under the county’s hate crime ordinance after a vacant home on Coatesdale Road was burglarized and vandalized on May 14. The teen also faces third-degree burglary and malicious injury to property charges.
Deputies said they responded to the home after a witness reported seeing a bicycle outside the property and two minors running away. Inside, investigators found extensive damage, including large holes in the walls, broken windows and a door that had been kicked in. They also found graffiti spray-painted with racial slurs and antisemitic messages, including swastikas.
The case matters because the damage was not limited to theft or break-in damage. Authorities said the home was defaced with hate-based graffiti, and the county is treating that as part of the alleged offense. Deputies later identified the 13-year-old at a nearby home after speaking with other witnesses and matching the description they had been given. A search warrant at the teen’s home turned up paint cans, according to authorities.
The child was taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice as the investigation continued. Deputies said they were still working to identify the second suspect. Anyone with information was asked to call 888-CRIME-SC or 803-576-3000.
