Graffiti Damages Friendswood Park

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas -- Kids may be responsible for graffiti that damaged a Friendswood park, officials told KPRC Local 2.

Someone covered a new pavilion, picnic tables, stairs to the bleachers and trashcans with white paint.

The graffiti includes swastikas, racial slurs and Hitler's name.

"Oh my gosh, we were just over there," resident Staci Pruitt said. "I just walked the kids over there just a couple days ago. Thank goodness I didn't see any of that."

The pavilion is a brand new addition to Centennial Park, part of a $3.4 million improvement project.

"It's frustrating," said Jon Branson, Friendswood's community services director. "The facility hasn't even opened up yet to the public and here we have damage to a brand new facility."

The vandals also spray-painted glass blocks. Officials said the blocks might require sandblasting.

"It's frustrating, it's disheartening, it's maddening," Branson said.

The inside of the building was also damaged.

Drawers were ripped from the cabinets and broken on the floor.

Officials said the vandals struck on Sunday night or Monday morning.

"That's kind of what the facility is for, kids to have an outlet," resident David Barb said. "Not necessarily for somebody to vandalize."

The city is adding up the damage while residents try to make sense of the messages written on their new building.

"It's pretty scary in this small community," Pruitt said. "We just moved here, so it's a little disturbing."

Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call Friendswood police at 281-996-3300.