Mural vandal also poured paint on Tesla, police say
A brief video shows a person who appears to be carrying a can of paint walk down the sidewalk.
Berkeley police have released a video of a person of interest in last week's vandalism of a community mural honoring immigrants.
The brief video shows a person in a blue jacket who appears to be carrying a can of paint walk down the sidewalk.
On Wednesday night, BPD said the person poured white paint on the hood of a Tesla in a residential driveway in addition to splattering paint on the "Sinbad Voyage" mural on Dwight Way near Sacramento Street.
Neighbors told The Scanner that the Tesla was parked on Spaulding Avenue, a block east of Sacramento Street.
The paint "was covering the hood in the morning but was power washed away," said one local resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
Police said the incidents happened sometime overnight between Wednesday, Aug. 19, and Thursday, Aug. 20.
The individual in the video appears to have a smaller frame. They are wearing a flowing garment and the hood of their jacket is pulled up over their head. No facial features are identifiable.
Authorities said detectives are "actively pursuing investigative leads" and "have collected evidence from both scenes."
Police said, for now, there's no evidence as to the motivation behind the crimes, including whether they were "directed at any specific individual or group."
But detectives are still trying to learn more, visiting the corner market where the mural was vandalized, speaking with neighbors and collecting community videos.
"We understand this comes at a time of heightened anxiety for many in our community about being targeted because of identity or origin, and we don't take that lightly," Berkeley police said in a prepared statement. "We thank the neighbors and community members who have already come forward with information and support."
No matter the motivation, police said they are taking the case seriously.
"We want to find who did this," said Officer Byron White, BPD spokesman. "The reality is we're going to investigate the crime."
Emilie Raguso
Artist Mokhtar Paki painted "Sinbad Voyage" in 2023. The mural features more than 450 figures, including about 90 with clearly visible faces, from Central America, the Middle East and the African continent.
He described the mural at the time as his "love letter to Berkeley."
"These are real people," Paki told a local writer in 2023. "I researched them, their stories."
Vandalism reports are up 8% this year, with about 450 incidents so far in 2026, according to BPD's Transparency Hub data portal.
Hate crime reports are up slightly, with at least 38 this year and 54 in all of last year, which was a 10-year high.
Authorities ask anyone with information to call BPD's Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.
