Swastika graffiti on Hilton Head being taken ‘very seriously’ by private community
A representative says Spanish Wells is “taking the matter very seriously” after graffiti of a swastika was found on the roadway of the Hilton Head Island private community late last month.
Spanish Wells management called Beaufort County deputies the morning of May 26 after receiving emails from residents reporting the graffiti. Police noted there were “multiple areas” that appeared to have been covered with paint in the area of Widewater Road, where the Nazi symbol was reportedly found.
Haleigh Krawtzow, a property manager at GW Services, said someone had painted over the graffiti before management or police made it to the area that morning.
“By the time we had received the reports (from neighbors) ... the plan for our office was we were going to cover that up,” Krawtzow said, “but it was already covered up by the time we had gotten on site, and we are also unsure as to who covered up the graffiti.” Krawtzow told police she was unsure when exactly the swastika was painted but assumed it happened either May 24 or 25 based off the emails from residents, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
GW Services, whose staff manage Spanish Wells and dozens of other private communities in the Hilton Head area, emailed residents of Widewater Road asking for footage of the vandalism taking place — but management “still (has) not received any footage” as of Thursday afternoon, Krawtzow said.
“Should we be able to identify who was responsible, we would definitely pursue pressing charges, but again, at this time, we are still unsure who is responsible (for the swastika graffiti),” Krawtzow said.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Daniel Allen confirmed on Wednesday that deputies had not identified any suspects. The vandalism case was closed May 26 after the incident was documented, the police report says.
Located in the historic Gullah neighborhood of the same name, Spanish Wells is a non-gated private community overlooking the Cailbogue Sound. The community is governed by a property owners association and features a members-only sports and lifestyle club.
Homes in the area of Widewater Lane — a secluded roadway shaded by live oak trees where the swastika was discovered — are regularly valued around $2 million or higher.
“We also sent out an email to the entire (Spanish Wells) community, so everyone in the community was aware of this situation, and just letting those owners know that we do take this very seriously,” Krawtzow said. “If anyone can provide any footage or information to our office, that would be appreciated.”
History of hate symbols in Beaufort County
This isn’t the first time swastikas and other hateful graffiti messages have been reported in the Hilton Head area.
In 2021, three May River High School students were charged with spray painting swastikas and several racial slurs on a hotel construction site in Hardeeville. The messages included two uses of the N-word, “white power” and “the South will rise again,” as well as profanities aimed at LGBTQ+, Spanish-speaking and Jewish individuals, according to previous reporting.
The suspects were not publicly identified because they were minors at the time of the crime, police previously said.
A year later, officials at the Beaufort-area Battery Creek High School reported finding swastika graffiti in a boy’s bathroom alongside threats directed at Jewish and Black people and a message threatening a school shooting.
Advocacy groups say swastikas and other hate symbols are increasingly appearing in public view nationwide, often spray painted on sidewalks or the sides of buildings. The resurgence of Nazi iconography has been described as a sign of rising antisemitism in the United States.
Officials in New York City have reported a surge of such hate symbols beginning early this year, with dozens of swastikas found in parks and playgrounds in largely Jewish areas. A city council member described the vandalism as “yet another hateful incident meant to intimidate Jewish New Yorkers and divide our city,” according to The Times of Israel.
