A Redondo Beach man woke up to what he thought was retaliation in a parking dispute when he saw shaving cream all over his wife’s car, only to find swastikas carved into the paint.
The victims of the attack, Katie and Kristian Bassilios, spoke out for the first time to NBC4 on Tuesday.
They said they believe the vandals targeted her car because she had a handicap placard.
"I felt like if someone was willing to do this to my car what were they willing to do to me," Katie said.
Katie has cerebal palsy, and parks in the 20-minute loading zone in front of her house.
Something, the couple says, must have been the basis for the attack.
Sometime overnight on Sept. 3, someone slashed the tires, carved swastikas on both sides of the car, and covered it in shaving cream and chili, Krisitan Bassilios said Tuesday.
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"Anyone who is crazy enough to do that is crazy enough to do something else," Kristian Bassilios said.
It's unknown why vandals chose swastikas.
"I was just so concerned that someone deranged enough to do something that ignorant and hateful and bigoted could very well be violent," Katie said.
The crime also shook up neighbors, who said the neighborhood is quiet.
"It’s tough to know you can't protect your loved ones," Bassilios said.
Police are investigating the vandalism and reviewing surveillance footage captured by a neighbor’s camera.
Bassilios is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"I'd give every last penny I had to make sure this doesn't happen to anybody else, and certainly not to my wife," Bassilios said.
NBC4 Reporter Hetty Chang contributed to this report.
