Man charged in Sylvania Township graffiti case

2/15/2017
BLADE STAFF

Sylvania Township police have charged the man they said spray painted a vulgar message last month on an Arab family’s home.

Authorities charged Osama Nazzal, 28, of Toledo with criminal damaging in the graffiti found Jan. 10 in the 7000 block of Cinnamon Teal Court. The racist message cursed Arabs.

Resident Souheir Eltatawy, 54, said today she has felt horrible and afraid since the vandalism occurred. She declined to speak further.

Deputy Chief Jim Rettig said the detective bureau acted on a tip in its investigation. Mr. Nazzal told police this was not a matter of ethnic intimidation, Deputy Chief Rettig said. He declined to say what police believe motivated the suspect.

The deputy chief praised the detective in this investigation. There were no witnesses to or video of the act, he said.

“It was a good old-fashioned police work with very limited resources, very limited evidence,” he said.

Mr. Nazzal is scheduled to be arraigned March 1 in Sylvania Municipal Court.