Mural of civil rights leader vandalized with racist graffiti during Black History Month — and cops have suspect on video

A mural depicting civil rights leader Cecil B. Moore was vandalized with racist graffiti in a north Philadelphia neighborhood earlier this month, and KYW-TV reported that it angered residents, particularly as the crime occurred in the middle of Black History Month.

Image source: KYW-TV video screenshot

What are the details?

The graffiti included the F-word and N-word, and the act was carried out early on Feb. 15, the station said.

"I don't know why they did that right there, what they did is crazy," neighbor Chris Jackson told KYW. "I'm baffled, I'm appalled."

Image source: KYW-TV video screenshot

Moore was the Philadelphia city council member, lawyer, and World War II veteran who led the fight to desegregate Girard College, the station said, adding that Moore raised his children in the neighborhood where the mural is displayed.

A statement from Mural Arts read in part, "We condemn defacing of public art, especially with racist slurs of one of Philadelphia's great leaders," KYW reported.

"The timing, it's Black History Month," Jackson added to the station. "It's a nice, black area. It's just not adding up."

Cops have a suspect on camera

Philadelphia police on Wednesday released images of the suspect wanted for spray-painting the racial slurs on mural, KYW-TV reported in a follow-up story.

Police said the suspect also was caught on camera spray-painting slurs at Brightside Academy and Habitat for Humanity, and that all of the incidents occurred between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Feb. 15.

Cops said the suspect is a black male between 25 and 35 years old with a medium build who was wearing a black jacket, gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, brown shoes, and carrying a black duffel bag.

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Anything else?

The day after President Donald Trump was elected, TheBlaze reported on vandalism in Philadelphia: In one incident, swastikas and the Nazi salute "Sieg Heil" were spray painted — and in a second incident, the phrases "Trump Rules" and "Black Bitch" were spray painted.

Police arrested William Tucker, 58, of Lawnside, New Jersey, in connection with the second vandalism incident.

William TuckerImage source: Philadelphia police

Turns out the woman, who owns the white 2015 Nissan Armada SUV that was spray painted with "Trump Rules" and "Black B***h," saw police surveillance video of the act and identified Tucker, saying he's an ex-boyfriend of eight years, Philly.com reported, citing court documents. Tucker and the victim are black, the Associated Press said.

More from Philly.com:

Tucker is also accused of spray painting "Trump Rules" on the driver's side of a white 2016 Infiniti QX60 SUV, and on the side of a house on the 900 block of South Sixth Street. Lastly, he is charged with spray painting the letter "T" on the front hood of a white 2013 Lincoln MKX SUV.

Tucker was charged with four counts of criminal mischief and was released on his own recognizance the day of his arrest, Philly.com said.