KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A 27-year-old man accused of spray-painting hate speech graffiti around Kalamazoo has been arrested in Arizona, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety on Thursday.
Jaifeng Chen was taken into federal custody Nov. 27 on an unrelated charge, police said.
“The investigation into the incidents that occurred here in Kalamazoo are ongoing. Once complete, the investigation will be forwarded to the appropriate authority seeking charges,” police said.
The man was seen in video surveillance spray-painting swastikas on a wall and on Chanukah decorations outside of the Chabad of Kalamazoo, according to the department.
“He was difficult to identify for us because he had no real ties to Kalamazoo. He’d only been here for about a month. He’s kind of been all over the country,” Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Dave Boysen said.
He is also accused of spray-painting racist graffiti around Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Arcadia Commons campus, public safety officers said.
It’s unclear what charge Chen will be facing for Kalamazoo case.
However, police said it was an isolated event, and they “don’t really know what his motivation was.”
We are asking anyone with information about this incident or any other criminal activity to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 269-337-8139 to speak with a Detective.
Information can also be provided anonymously through the Kalamazoo Silent Observer tip line at 269-343-2100, the “P3Tips” app, or online at www.KalamazooSilentObserver.com.