Juveniles Arrested After Racist Spray Painting

Three juveniles have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 9 spray painting of racial slurs on a home in Hickory Flat's Middlebrooke subdivision, authorities said Tuesday.

All three suspects live near, but not in, the subdivision in which the paintings occurred, Lt. Jay Baker said in a statement.

According to an incident report, received a call from a neighbor in his Middlebrooke subdivision on Jan. 10. The neighbor told Zain there were obscenities on his garage doors.

Zain, who is African-American, went outside. Curse words were on the two garage doors. He inspected the rest of the house. On the left side, he found this:

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A swastika was under it.

Zain, 46, told investigators that he never had an issue in six years in Middlebrooke, which is located near Highway 140 and Stringer Road.

"Although this incident is troubling," Sheriff Roger Garrison said, "it appears to be a juvenile act and the suspects are not believed to be part of an organized group targeting minorities."

The suspects were charged with terroristic threats and criminal trespass, then released to their parents, Baker said.

Their names were not released.