Man arrested in string of anti-Chinese graffiti found in San Francisco

A man has been arrested in connection with the spray painting of “NO MORE CHINESE” on walls, vacant buildings and fences throughout a San Francisco neighborhood, police announced Wednesday.

John Schenone, 62, of San Francisco was taken into custody Tuesday after he was spotted in the 1200 block of Bayshore Boulevard, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Schenone and his vehicle matched the description of a person officers were looking for since Monday, police said.

He has been booked on multiple counts of vandalism and hate crime.

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Police received assistance from the public, reviewed surveillance video and spoke to witnesses to identify Schenone, Officer Grace Gatpandan said.

The three words appeared Monday morning throughout the Portola neighborhood in the Bayview district.

The large orange spray paint letters appeared at Palega Park, a vacant grocery store, on a home under construction, a home for sale and on an office building.

Soon after the words turned up, the Police Department’s Hate Crime Unit identified a vehicle and person of interest. Officers distributed fliers in the hopes of identifying the vandal.

San Francisco Supervisor Julie Christensen, whose area of coverage includes Chinatown, condemned the anti-Chinese graffiti.

“Disrespect for our fellow residents, especially based on ethnicity, will not be tolerated,” she wrote on Facebook. “I truly appreciate the San Francisco Police Department and other city staff for recognizing the seriousness of this issue.”

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