A Huntington Beach man was arrested late Friday night after Westminster Police officers caught him spray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti — including swastikas and phrases such as "Jews are scum" — on city walls, a power box, and a fire hydrant near Bolsa Avenue in Little Saigon.

Julio Cesar Lazo, 25, was booked at Orange County Jail on three charges: a hate crime under California Penal Code 422.6(b), felony vandalism under Penal Code 594(b)(1), and possession of a switchblade knife under Penal Code 21510(b).

Officers were first called to the area of Magnolia Street south of Bolsa Avenue around 11:00 p.m. on March 13 after a witness reported seeing a man tagging multiple surfaces. Officers searched the area but came up empty. A short time later, one officer returned and spotted someone matching the description actively marking city property. That person was Lazo. Officers found graffiti materials and a switchblade on him at the time of his detention.

The graffiti turned up at several locations along nearby city walls and public infrastructure. Some of the markings were swastikas; others included written anti-Semitic slurs in black spray paint.

Westminster Police Chief Lenyi issued a statement Friday, calling the incident serious and urging residents to report hate-motivated activity promptly. "Acts that target individuals or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic have no place in our community and will be thoroughly investigated," Lenyi said. "I want to thank the citizen who reported this incident and I encourage community members to promptly report incidents of hate as they play an important role in helping us address these acts and protect our community."

Investigators say this appears to be an isolated incident with no further threat to the public. The arrest was announced by the Westminster Police Department on March 16.

Bolsa Avenue is the commercial spine of Little Saigon, one of the largest Vietnamese American communities in the country. The area draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and carries deep cultural and historical significance for the local Vietnamese American diaspora.

Anyone with additional information can contact the Westminster Police Department or reach Orange County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or at occrimestoppers.org.