Nanaimo RCMP have released photos of a man they say allegedly vandalized a rainbow crosswalk in downtown Nanaimo in hopes the public can help identify him.
According to police, the crosswalk, situated at the intersection of Bastion Street and Commercial Street, was vandalized at approximately 4 a.m. on Saturday, July 3rd.
The actual defacing of the crosswalk was not captured, however, photos were obtained of a man walking towards and away from the crosswalk, between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., carrying a can of paint and a paintbrush.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian man in his mid 30’s and has short dark hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black medical face mask, black shoes, light coloured shorts and a black t-shirt.
“Considering that the crosswalk was painted to recognise the LGBTQ2+ community in Nanaimo, this incident is being treated as a hate-motivated mischief,” said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
“If a suspect is positively identified and charges laid, this factor may be considered by the courts as an aggravating factor,” said O’Brien.
The crosswalk was painted in rainbow colours in 2016 to show support for the LGBTQ2+ community in Nanaimo.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
