Racist graffiti found in Rocky Hill, Wethersfield; police believe cases connected

ROCKY HILL, Conn. (WFSB) – Racist graffiti was found in several locations around Rocky Hill and Wethersfield over the weekend, according to police.

Police from both towns said they are looking into whether the two cases are connected.

What was found

Rocky Hill Mayor Allan Smith said some of the vandalism was minor, such as altering a speed limit sign near Orchard Street and Raymond Road to appear to read “85 mph” instead of “25 mph.”

However, police said racial, antisemitic and explicit images were spray-painted at some point Saturday night into Sunday on several stop signs and other speed limit signs in the area near Maple Avenue, Charter Road and Orchard Street.

Karen Fontaine, who said she has lived in Rocky Hill for three decades, woke up to find graffiti on a fence near her home.

“We woke up to graffiti on this fence down here. Unfortunately, it was racist and stuff slurred on there,” Fontaine said.

An Acura in the area was also covered in offensive images and writing. One Rocky Hill resident said police came to her door around 6:30 a.m. after her tires were spray-painted green.

“It’s all racial slurs. It’s awful. It’s terrible,” the resident said.

Similar vandalism was found in Wethersfield on vehicles, fences, street signs and at Mills Wood Skate Park.

Neighbors organize cleanup

Fontaine said neighbors used the Rocky Hill Forum to organize a cleanup with help from Ace Hardware.

“We have a Rocky Hill forum. It was six of us and two kids came out and got the graffiti out within an hour,” Fontaine said.

Mayor Smith said he is glad to see the community come together in response.

“Everybody and their mother now has a Ring doorbell camera. I’m a little bit more optimistic we’ll find out who did this,” Smith said.

Resident displays sign rejecting hate

Judy Hartling, who lives near the vandalism, put a sign in her front yard Monday that reads “hate has no home here.”

“They are abhorrent and this town should not stand for it… and I don’t think they will,” Hartling said.

“These are about visually and very assertively saying this town will not stand for racism,” Hartling said.

Hartling said she expects the community to keep pushing back against the vandalism.

“It’s spreading hatred and sorry, but when people spread hatred, other people are gonna stand up and say that that’s not acceptable,” Hartling said.

Church distributes signs promoting unity

Rocky Hill Congregational Church is sharing signs that read “hate has no home here” in response to the vandalism. The signs were first printed in 2023 after white supremacists plastered flyers around town, and volunteers spread upwards of 50 signs in response at that time.

More than 50 signs have again been distributed across the community. The church’s pastor said more than a dozen people requested a sign the morning after the vandalism was discovered.

Rev. David Figliuzzi, of Rocky Hill Congregational Church, said the vandalism affected him deeply.

“To see something like that really just impacted me deeply. This group of people here in this church we practice radical love and inclusion and so our response was we can do something about this. We can continue to get the word out that hate has no home here in Rocky Hill,” Figliuzzi said.

“There’s a better message because when hate is loud, we believe love must be louder,” Figliuzzi said.

Figliuzzi also said he hopes for grace toward those responsible for the vandalism.

“There’s room for forgiveness, there’s room for grace, and I believe that God can change any heart,” Figliuzzi said.

Figliuzzi said the church has boxes of the signs available, and anyone in the greater Rocky Hill and Wethersfield communities can request one by reaching out to the church.

Police ask for surveillance footage

Rocky Hill and Wethersfield police are asking residents in the areas where the vandalism occurred to check their security camera footage.

Anyone with information can contact Rocky Hill police at 860-258-7640 or Wethersfield police at 860-721-2900.

Channel 3 has reached out to both Rocky Hill and Wethersfield for an update on the investigation.