Schenectady Man Charged with Falsely Reporting Hate Crime Incident

Police have charged a Schenectady man with falsely reporting an incident involving swastikas spray-painted on his home. They say the homeowner actually put the symbols there.

According to The Daily Gazette, 54 yr old Andrew King, who happens to be Jewish, had claimed that he found two swastikas spray-painted on his Chiswell Road home last month, but police have concluded that King put them there himself. He is charged with a misdemeanor. The incident was reported to police by King on Feb. 10 and he went to various other media outlets regarding the incident, in which he claimed to have found the symbols while clearing snow from his driveway.

Vandalism involving swastikas has been reported throughout the country since the election of President Donald Trump, and have often been linked to Trump supporters. King had "portrayed himself as a Trump fan" to the Gazette.

Andrew King was being held pending arraignment.