Police say man admitted he painted swastika graffiti in Scottsdale
Nov 6, 2019, 6:00 PM
(Scottsdale Police Department Photo)
PHOENIX – A homeless man has admitted he painted swastikas on streets and walls in Scottsdale last month, authorities said Wednesday.
Rick Sagaser, 47, was arrested and charged with five counts of criminal damage and five counts of assisting a criminal street gang, according to a Scottsdale Police Department press release.
Sagaser allegedly painted the Nazi symbol in five spots in the area of the Loop 101 Pima Freeway and Mountain View Road.
He became a suspect in the swastika case after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting another homeless person, police said.
During an Oct. 29 jail interview with police, he acknowledged a past association with the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang.
He told police the graffiti was an attempt to avoid being assaulted by other homeless people.