The Coronado National Forest and Pima County Sheriff's Department are investigating a crime that happened at some point over the weekend at a popular campground on Mount Lemmon. The main restroom at the Molino Basin Campground was covered with graffiti, officials say it happened either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
It wasn't the sight Brent Baber thought he'd see when he and his wife took a Sunday morning trip up Mount Lemmon to find some peace and quiet.
"It's loud, very loud," Baber said. "That'll stick in my head, that'll be there."
The bulk of the graffiti is inside the men's and women's restrooms, covering the stalls, doors, and walls. Inside each bathroom, it says, "kill all whites, kill cops, BLM," among other explicit statements.
On the exterior of the building, there are multiple Swastikas with lines crossing through them, also, the word, "white," with lines crossing it out.
On the ground a message saying, "Islam is Boom," and a profane statement involving President Trump.
"Right now, the country is under a lot of, I guess, racial stress," Baber said. "When it happens in a place like this, it just doesn't seem to be a place for it. We shouldn't have room for this up here."
Heidi Schewel, a spokesperson for the Coronado National Forest, gave KGUN9 this statement:
"It's unfortunate that people have to express themselves by damaging government property and defacing areas that the visiting public likes to enjoy."
Baber says it's important that people are able to express their thoughts and feelings, however, this was neither productive nor appropriate, at all.
"There's other forums," he said. "If you've got a beef or something. But like I said, that's destruction of property, regardless of who it is. It's just a bad situation."
Vandalism on national forest property is a serious crime, a person can face a variety of fines and spend up to six months in prison. Anyone with information is asked to call 88-CRIME or the Coronado National Forest, at (520) 388-8300.
