Portsmouth police have suspect in hate graffiti incident. FBI joins investigation.

Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
·3 min read
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PORTSMOUTH — One main suspect has emerged in city law enforcement’s quest to identify those responsible for defacing a slew of city businesses and places of worship around downtown Portsmouth one week ago.

A week after the far-reaching incident shook the city, Portsmouth Police Detective Sgt. Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday the list of buildings spray painted with hateful graffiti has grown to 17. A number of business owners and leaders at places of worship woke up last Tuesday, Feb. 21, to find their buildings defaced with swastikas, crosses and the Star of David, among other symbols.

A person, wearing a facemask, red hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants and white shoes with orange-rimmed glasses, was caught on surveillance footage walking up to buildings last week and spray painting them with hateful graffiti. Police reported last week the acts occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.

Portsmouth police released an additional image of the person seen on surveillance footage spray painting hateful graffiti on numerous locations in and around downtown early Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. City police are investigating the widespread incident alongside the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.
Portsmouth police released an additional image of the person seen on surveillance footage spray painting hateful graffiti on numerous locations in and around downtown early Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. City police are investigating the widespread incident alongside the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

Though they’re working through multiple persons of interest and investigative leads, the department presently believes the vandalism was carried out by just one person. Police said no one has been positively identified yet and they are continuing to investigate the matter.

McCarthy did not specify whether the one main suspect has ties to Portsmouth.

“I cannot reveal that at this time,” he said.

The list of businesses targeted in the graffiti attack includes Deadwicks, 3 Bridges Yoga, Cotillion Bureau, Grim North Tattoo & Piercing, Macro Polo and Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar, owned by city Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley. Last Friday, with help from local advocates, Kelley hosted a "Love Blooms Here" event at her shop, passing out flowers to the general public for them to bring to affected businesses and places of worship in efforts to combat hatred.

According to McCarthy, a “Black Lives Matter” mural outside a Marcy Street home was defaced, in addition to a personal political sign in the same area.

Flowers were placed outside the Temple Israel on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, three days after the place of worship was targeted with hateful, anti-Semitic graffiti. On Friday, Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley and local organizers held an event called "Love Blooms Here" at Kelley's business, Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar, in response to the barrage of vandalism that occurred earlier in the week. Cup of Joe was one of 15 locations in and around downtown Portsmouth hit with hateful graffiti, with many having swastikas spray painted on their buildings.

Community provides surveillance video footage to police

After police put out a public call last week asking for security camera footage from numerous areas in and around downtown, the department now has several hundred gigabytes of surveillance intelligence aiding their investigation.

In their request for footage, police asked for surveillance from the following locations: The portion of the downtown between Deer, Middle and Court streets, with additional areas Marcy Street, Summer Street through Miller Avenue and the surrounding streets; South Street from Miller Avenue to Marcy Street; Marcy Street from Court Street to New Castle Avenue and Maplewood Avenue towards Woodbury Avenue.

People work to remove a swastika from Temple Israel in Portsmouth Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. It was one of numerous buildings in the city hit with hate symbols overnight.
People work to remove a swastika from Temple Israel in Portsmouth Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. It was one of numerous buildings in the city hit with hate symbols overnight.

“I thank the people of Portsmouth for the surveillance they sent in, and we are still interested in any footage anybody has,” McCarthy added.

The increased presence of hate group activity in the city and around the Seacoast by a recognized neo-Nazi group known as the Nationalist Social Club, or NSC-131, has caused speculation as to whether any actors in the graffiti incident are affiliated with the group.

“I still don't have any specific information that that group is involved, but I’m not ruling it out and not ruling it in,” McCarthy said.

More:'Love Blooms' in Portsmouth after hateful graffiti. Police warn of 'day of hate.'

City police, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were canvassing throughout Portsmouth on Tuesday as part of their examination of the incident.

Police Commission: 'Hate has no home in Portsmouth'

Stefany Shaheen, chairperson of the Portsmouth Police Commission, commended city police Monday evening for “aggressively and deliberately” investigating the hateful barrage.

“Those investigations are underway, they’re ongoing, they will continue. As we have said, as the chief has said loudly, as the commission said, hate crimes have no place anywhere,” Shaheen said. “They certainly have no place in Portsmouth, and we very much hope the investigations will lead to our ability as a community to address the crimes that occurred and (prosecute) the person who committed those crimes, person or people.”

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident in tandem with the Portsmouth Police Department.

Members of the public with information about the incident can contact McCarthy at (603) 610-7656.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Police, FBI have main suspect in Portsmouth, NH hate graffiti incident