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Portsmouth 17-year-old charged with 22 counts for hateful vandalism in February
Loren Faulkner allegedly defaced 18 different businesses, houses of worship, and residences around Portsmouth with swastikas and other hateful symbols.
The New Hampshire Attorney General charged a 17-year-old Portsmouth male with 22 counts of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act Thursday in connection with a plethora of hateful vandalism that was found around Portsmouth in February.
On the morning of Feb. 22, over a dozen businesses and houses of worship around Portsmouth discovered red spray-painted swastikas and other hateful symbols on their buildings. The vandal seemed to be targeting Queer-friendly and Black-owned businesses, as well as a local synagogue.
The AG’s office now alleges that Loren Faulkner, who WMUR says is a Portsmouth 17-year-old, was responsible for those acts of vandalism and four others from April 2022.
The alleged vandalism
The AG’s civil complaint alleges that on Feb. 21, Faulkner damaged property at eighteen different businesses, residences, and houses of worship in Portsmouth, the AG’s office said in a news release.
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In addition to the spray-painted swastikas, Faulkner defaced a rainbow park bench at Portsmouth Place Apartments, destroyed a Pride flag at St. John’s Episcopal Church, defaced a Black Heritage Trail sign, and defaced multiple signs and murals expressing support for marginalized communities, the release said.
The complaint also alleges that on Apr. 21 and 22, 2022, Faulkner stole or attempted to steal Pride flags at four residences and houses of worship, including one at the North Church near Market Square, the release said.
Additionally, on these dates, Faulkner allegedly vandalized St. John’s Monastic Lodge with anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti and recorded a video of himself burning a stolen Ukrainian flag while denouncing Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and LGBTQ+ people, the release said. He then sent the video to the entire sophomore class at Portsmouth High School, the release stated.
Faulkner’s fate
Each violation of the Civil Rights Act carries a maximum fine of $5,000. In the complaint, the AG’s office asked the court for a preliminary restraining order to protect the victims and the public from Faulkner, the release said.
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Last month, the Anti-Defamation League released a report that said New Hampshire saw a nearly 400% increase in white supremacist propaganda in 2022.
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