Two former police officers from Torrance, California have been charged with felony counts of vandalism and conspiracy to commit vandalism for spraypainting a 2004 Hyundai Elantra belonging to a mail theft suspect, NBC News reports.
On January 27, 2020, the officers responded to a report of three men stealing mail from an apartment complex and were led to the car, which they believed might have been used in the crime, the D.A. said.
The vehicle was taken to an impoundment facility. When the owner came to pick it up he noticed a swastika spraypainted on the front seat and a smiley face on the back seat.
“Immediately upon learning of the reprehensible allegations in 2020, the Torrance Police Department opened a criminal investigation and the officers were put on leave,” Ponegalek said. “The criminal case was delivered to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in April of 2020 with a recommendation that criminal charges be filed.”