Long Island

East Hampton state park vandalized with graffiti of swastikas

East Hampton, N.Y.: Descending to the half-mile beach below brings views of hoodoos, naturally carved earthen structures of red clay and sand that recall the American Southwest shown in this photo of Shadmoor State Park, in East Hampton, New York, on December 19, 2016. (Photo by Mark Harrington/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
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New York State troopers are investigating after a series of swastikas were found in graffiti at a Long Island park.

East Hampton Town police and New York State Park Police officers responded for complaints of graffiti on multiple signs at the Shadmoor State Park in Montauk on Dec. 19, police said. After arriving on the scene, officers saw numerous signs vandalized with anti-Semitic markings, including swastikas, East Hampton police said.

"This morning, I was heartbroken to see more swastikas defacing Shadmoor State Park in Montauk," Rabbi Joshua Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons posted on social media. "In a world that often feels dark, Hanukkah reminds us of the power of light—the kind we create through acts of love and kindness."

Police said the vandalism appears to be isolated to the state park and New York State criminal investigators are leading the investigation.

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