San Lorenzo man, known for pro-Nazi ‘patrols’ around town, charged with destroying police surveillance system

SAN LORENZO — When police went looking on Via Honda for the home of a man allegedly responsible for numerous incidents of antisemitic graffiti and the Jan. 14 destruction of a law enforcement surveillance camera, one residence stood out.

The house with “(expletive) Jews” spray painted outside on the sidewalk, according to court records.

The 26-year-old man they were looking for was known to San Lorenzo residents, who have made numerous reports about him since 2022, ranging from the bizarre to concerning. He regularly patrols his neighborhood dressed in army fatigues, sometimes with a machete tied around his neck, other times with a BB gun or air rifle in hand and sometimes yelling “Heil Hitler” as he made his rounds, authorities said in court filings.

When the suspect — identified as Isaac Garcia — was arrested on suspicion of vandalism, he allegedly admitted to cutting the wire of a surveillance camera in San Lorenzo, authorities said. But he assured the police he never would have done it if he’d known it was a police system, adding that he wants to be a police officer “so bad.”

The cost of the surveillance system was around $2,000, authorities said.

Prosecutors have charged Garcia with felony vandalism and possessing body armor as a prohibited person, a misdemeanor. Inside his house, authorities allegedly found numerous air rifles, a crossbow, a practice grenade and several fixed-blade weapons, according to court records.

Authorities also found a video on one of Garcia’s electronic devices that prompted a sexual assault investigation, which remains active, according to court records. There was a plethora of “extremist propaganda,” often targeting Jewish and transgender people, including memes Garcia allegedly posted to social media and saved on his phone, court records show.

Authorities say Garcia’s mental health struggles might be at the root of his alleged crimes, and that he was living alone at the time of the alleged vandalism. They have also linked him to several antisemitic graffiti incidents, all involving red spray paint or a black magic marker, with “near identical” handwriting, authorities said.

At a Jan. 16 court appearance, Garcia was released without bail by Judge Thomas Reardon. He is scheduled to enter a plea on Thursday morning, records show.