Kids find perverse pleasure in swastikas

A swastika drawn in red crayon was found on the sidewalk in front of the home belonging to a Jewish family on Eagleton Drive in Agoura Hills. The incident was reported to the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station on Feb. 27.

"It was the first thing my husband saw in the morning," homeowner Ruth Amran said regarding the 8-inch swastika, which she covered with a trash can until deputies arrived.

Amran, a native of Israel, said she reported the incident because the drawing is emblematic of Nazi Germany and the atrocities of the Holocaust.

"It's a shame that we have kids that will do this, Amran said.

A mother of three, Amran and her family moved from Israel to the United States 22 years ago and to Agoura Hills in 2000.

While the swastika was small and drawn on the sidewalk by her driveway, Amran said reporting the incident to officials might deter similar action in the future.

"I never had nothing like this happen in my life," she said. "We need to be aware."

Similar crime in T.O.

On Feb. 19, two Thousand Oaks High School students were arrested for allegedly committing a hate crime, police said.

Swastikas were painted on the locker of a 13-year-old Jewish student at Redwood Middle School during the Presidents Day holiday weekend.

Police served six search warrants at the homes of several students suspected of being involved, a police report said.

Two male suspects, both 15, were arrested, charged and released into their parents' custody.

"We are continuing to investigate to determine if this was a part of a larger problem," Ventura County Sheriff 's Department spokesperson Detective Eric Buschow said.

"Hate crimes are uncommon in Thousand Oaks and are disturbing at any age level," Buschow said.

School resource officers and the sheriff's special enforcement gang unit and major crimes unit are working together on the investigation.

Rabbi Ted Riter ofTemple Adat Elohim expressed sadness that children had to see the "horribly disturbing . . . symbol of hate."

"Jewish or not, it makes children and everyone who witnessed it feel unsafe," Riter said. "It's not just a Jewish issue; it's an issue to any minority—the swastika is a hurtful symbol that stands for something much deeper that threatens anyone who is not a part of the majority."

Nancy Needham contributed to this story.