John Williams sentenced to five years for spray painting swastikas at five locations in Ventura
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – John Williams of Ventura was sentenced to five years and four months in state prison after spray painting swastikas at multiple locations in Ventura back in May.
Williams previously pled guilty on Aug. 19, to three felony counts of vandalism for damage over $400, three felony hate crime counts of placing a terrorizing symbol on private property, two misdemeanor counts of vandalism, and one misdemeanor count of possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon as well as the special allegation of committing the crimes while on parole and with a prior strike.
"His deliberate choice to plaster Nazi swastikas—symbols of hate, fear, and division—across public and private spaces was not mere vandalism, but an attack on the safety and unity our community strives to maintain," shared a victim impact statement submitted to the court about the vandalism. "No one should have to live in fear of hate symbols or the hidden danger of someone like John Williams."
On March 30, about 9 a.m., a local business called police about a swastika spray painted on a wall of their property in the 1000 block of East Front Street stated a press release from the Ventura Police Department.
Officers arrived to find a swastika and the words "VC Pride" tagged on a wall of the business and while investigating that report, four additional reports of swastikas were received from public and private properties across the city detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.
The location of those vandalism incidents were:
- 1000 block of East Front Street
- Harbor Boulevard/Sanjon Road
- 100 block of West Main Street
- 100 block of West Garden Street
- Santa Clara Street/South Ventura Avenue
Williams was spotted on surveillance footage at two of the locations at the time of the vandalism and the sound of spray paint being applied was heard on the video before the 31-year-old was seen leaving the scene shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Officers contacted Williams and uncovered more evidence linking him to the vandalism spree later the same day and a review of his social media revealed that he had been documenting the graffiti at one of the locations and posted images while implying that someone else was responsible explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
"Defacing our community with swastikas is more than vandalism, it is an act meant to intimidate, divide, and instill fear," said Ventura County District Attorney Nasarenko. "This sentence delivers accountability to the defendant and affirms that Ventura County will not tolerate hate-driven crimes against our residents and neighborhoods."
