Vandalism viewed as hate crime

CHENEY – Police department investigators have decided to charge one of the suspects in a Dec. 9-10 vehicle vandalism spree with one count of malicious harassment — Washington state’s version of a hate crime.

The charge stems from vandalism to a silver Subaru parked on Buena Vista Street outside of Garden Manor Apartments where the damage included spray-painting racially-divisive language on both sides of the vehicle. Cheney police Capt. Rick Beghtol said that appeared to be the first of 14 vehicles damaged in various neighborhoods throughout the city that night.

Police subsequently arrested tw...