HUDSON — A 19-year-old man has been charged with vandalizing property after allegedly drawing swastikas on a school softball field, Hudson Police Chief Richard DiPersio announced Thursday.
The initial report of swastikas etched into the dirt at Quinn Middle School’s softball field came on Nov. 2.
The investigation was still active when a second report was filed on Nov. 15.
Responding to the second incident on Nov. 15, police found the Hudson man in the midst of a mental health crisis at the field.
Officers facilitated his access to appropriate mental health services.
Further inquiry linked the man to the vandalism, and he was subsequently summoned to Marlborough District Court on a property vandalism charge.
His identity remains confidential pending his arraignment.
Chief DiPersio condemned the use of the swastika, a symbol associated with hate and racism.
He expressed gratitude to the community and school officials for their assistance in apprehending the suspect.
“The swastika symbol has a well-known history of hatred, anti-Semitism and racism, and such symbols have no place in Hudson,” DiPersio said.
