Authorities arrested a Romanian national after the Nazi symbol was discovered on dozens of cars, mailboxes and building facades
Numerous swastikas painted with human blood were found on dozens of vehicles and buildings in the central German town of Hanau, located east of Frankfurt, police said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, a local resident reported a red swastika on the hood of his car in the town’s Lamboy district. Officers later discovered similar markings on nearly 50 cars, as well as on several mailboxes and house facades across five streets.
A forensic test confirmed that the red substance was human blood, police spokesman Thomas Leipold told reporters on Thursday. He noted, however, that the amount of blood found was limited and was not enough to suspect a person had lost their life.
Later on Thursday, local authorities reported arresting a 31-year-old man, stating he had a blood alcohol level of 1.2, suggesting moderate intoxication. Police said they had ruled out a political motive behind the act and believe the suspect’s actions were a reaction to a workplace incident. The man has been taken to a psychiatric hospital.
The display of Nazi symbols, including the swastika, is illegal in Germany and can carry a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine. Police have said they are currently treating the case as property damage and the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations.
Hanau mayor Claus Kaminsky has condemned the act, describing it as an affront to “every boundary of decency and humanity.”
“Especially in our city, which was deeply affected by the racist attack on February 19, 2020, such an act causes deep consternation,” he added, according to the German press agency dpa.
Kaminsky was referring to a shooting that took place in Hanau five years ago, when a German national went on a rampage in a hookah bar and killed nine people with immigrant backgrounds. The incident is considered one of the worst cases of domestic terrorism to have happened in the country since WWII.
