A hate crime investigation is underway after vandals defaced the walls of a Santa Fe, New Mexico, restaurant with white supremacist messages and racial slurs, local authorities reported.
The vandals also ransacked some of the restaurant’s furniture.
India Palace restaurant owner Baljit Singh found his eatery defaced with phrases like “White Power,” “Trump 2020” and “F— BLM” on Monday afternoon, according to the Santa Fe Police Department.
Greg Gurule, a public information officer for SFPD, confirmed to USA TODAY that the attack is classified as a hate crime and that the agency has been in contact with the local FBI Office.
“The case is still active and under investigation,” Gurule said in a statement.
Singh said he and his employees were last at the restaurant on Saturday. The restaurant had been closed on Sunday.
Singh and his son, Baljot, estimated the cost of the damages – which include broken tables, shattered dishware, a damaged kitchen and more – at $100,000, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
The Singh family has owned the restaurant since 2013. For the past few weeks, they used the eatery to prepare food and care packages for the homeless community amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
“This is our livelihood, you know,” Baljot told the Santa Fe New Mexican. “And seeing it torn down and vandalized, it hurt. It truly broke our heart.”
On Twitter, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said she was “absolutely heartbroken and disgusted by this racist attack.” She added, “We will not stand for such hatred in New Mexico.”
New Mexico Vibe Magazine 