Palo Alto, CA - Jewish Summer Camp Burglarized, Vandalized

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Palo Alto, CA - An unknown number of people broke into Terman Middle School to steal property and commit a hate crime, Palo Alto police said.

The suspects allegedly spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti over a Star of David, stole a laptop, digital camera and $60 in cash.

Staff at the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center's summer day camp, which operates at the campus, reported that the items, which included an undisclosed amount of blank checks, were taken from a day camp office in the B-1 wing of the campus. The burglars pried the door open, breaking it, but did not vandalize anything in the office. Meanwhile, in the D-1 wing, camp staff found a short, mobile wall with a Star of David had been spray-painted. In green ink, the suspect wrote "F--- Jews." On a nearby wall, the suspect also wrote "Stylez," which could be a nickname or a tag.

Although police recorded the two incidents separately, staff at the Jewish Community Center believe they could be linked and that the main motive was the burglary, not the racist comment.

"It's just a random act of intolerance," said Mimi Sells, director of marketing and communications at the center. "No one likes seeing that, but it's a rarity, not the norm."

Brown said police contacted nearby businesses in search of possible video surveillance, but found none. Without a tip from the community, Brown said finding the suspect or suspects will be difficult. The cost of the break-in is estimated at around $2,560.

Anyone with additional information, or who may have witnessed the incident, is asked to call the Palo Alto Police Department at 650-329-2406, or the anonymous tip line at 650-329-2190.