Pictures of crowns and the initials “L” and “K” written in bold blue spray paint are marks of the Latin King street gang, or someone claiming to be, and they were left in East Hartford.
"It's scary to know that they are in the neighborhood at night, while we are in our houses sleeping," Cheryl Wood said.
Cheryl Wood and her husband Louis Wood live across the street from East Hartford High School on Forbes Street and woke up Sunday morning to see signs at the school covered with spray paint. Maintenance workers spent Monday morning scrubbing it off.
"It is a little frightening to think what could be. You hate to think of that in your town,” said Cindy Hanson, who also lives across the street from the high school.
The vandals didn't stop at the school. Street signs down Forbes Street were covered.
They scrawled “Latin King” on a white picket fence at the corner of Forbes and Brewer streets and spray painted the side of Cabela's Power Sports Service Center.
Workers tried to wipe it off Monday morning but blue streaks remained by Monday afternoon.
"Don't destruct property for no reason, just to mark your territory," Louis Wood said.
East Hartford Police say the vandals went on a spray-painting spree that lasted almost two miles.
It appears to have ended at the Glastonbury Crossing apartment complex on Glenn Road.
Most of the paint has been washed off but spray paint still covers the complex sign and speed limit signs across the street.
"It's crazy (be)cause I have a 2-year-old daughter,” said Wendy Burrell, who lives in the complex. “That's my house right there on the other side, so it's like crazy," she said, pointing to the traces of graffiti that still remain on the brick outside wall.
Burrell also lives with her mother, Iris Rodriquez, who used to live in Hartford’s Stowe Village.
"I lived in one of the worst complexes in Hartford,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve seen a lot of gangs, a lot of drug dealing."
That's why Rodriguez says she moved to East Hartford, but what's she's seeing now scares her.
"It does because they are starting with all these signs and it's not good," Rodriguez said.
East Hartford Police said they are looking for a person of interest in the case. They cannot say if this is actually gang activity until they find the person or people responsible.
When police arrest whoever did all the vandalism, they will be expected to pay for all the clean up.
