Teen faces multiple charges after Nazi graffiti, hate messages spray-painted on homes in Sylvan Park in 2023

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — More than a year after swastikas and messages of hate were spray-painted on five homes in Nashville's Sylvan Park neighborhood, police say a young man from Alabama – an alleged member of a white supremacist group – had been arrested.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the vandalism occurred at homes on Westlawn Drive and Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho avenues early in the morning of March 19, 2023.

MARCH 2023: Search for suspects underway after Nazi graffiti and hate messages spray-painted on homes in Nashville neighborhood

Officials said surveillance video from one of the homes shows two masked men approaching the porch before one of them quickly sprayed paint on the camera lens. Then, the two men allegedly painted hate messages on the property and stole a Colombian flag.

In response to the hateful messages, Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake immediately ordered an increased law enforcement presence in the Sylvan Park area.

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Authorities said they identified the 19-year-old man — who was 17 when the vandalism occurred — in late 2023 and obtained arrest warrants from juvenile court.

Earlier in the week, Specialized Investigations Division detectives learned the 19-year-old was likely at a concert in the Madison area on Sunday, May 26, according to police. The teenager was located and taken into custody without incident.

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The 19-year-old man – whose identity has not yet been shared – is charged with five counts of vandalism, five counts of engaging in a criminal conspiracy, five counts of criminal trespass , five counts of civil rights intimidation and one count of theft.

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