Spray paint vandals target cars, homes in Rhawnhurst

RHAWNHURST - October 16, 2013 (WPVI) -- People living in Philadelphia's Rhawnhurst neighborhood woke up to an alarming discovery Wednesday.

Someone spray-painted lewd and offensive images on homes, fences and cars along several blocks.

"We came out to look, and there it was!"

Dorothy Defreah's white car turned into a vandal's blank canvas last night. A lewd image in black spray paint now blemishes the hood of her car that was parked on the 1700 block of Benson Street in Rhawnhurst.

A neighbor knocked on her door at 7am to deliver the news, and they called the police.

"We're going to have to take the paint off the front of the car, which isn't funny," said Defreah.

The vandal or vandals covered some ground in the neighborhood, repeating the lewd image, using misspelled profanity and scrawling swastikas.

"This area's so diverse, so many different cultures and everything here," said Stephanie Toner.

The trail continued to a house fence on the corner of Hoffnagle and Frontenac, and two homes on Solly between Frontenac and Loretto. At one home, the markings were already painted over.

"I'm shocked at this," said Mike Bresnan. "It's unbelievable. Never seen this around here before."

Some neighbors believe this was kids joking around, but they say it isn't funny.

"I would like to say, 'Grow up, get a job,'" said Defreah. "We all have to work for what we have."

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