Police have launched a hate crime investigation following the burglary and antisemitic vandalism of a public school earlier this month.

Tracy PD officers responded about 7:30 p.m. June 12 to Gladys Poet-Christian Elementary School on 701 Central Ave. following the discovery by school security staff that two classrooms had been broken into. What they found included graffiti containing derogatory antisemitic words and symbols, according to police.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has been closed for three months. The two classrooms were ransacked, burglarized and vandalized with graffiti at some point before the discovery, according to the report.

Late Tuesday, the Tracy Police Department issued a statement saying they are investigating the incident as a hate crime and are interviewing potential witnesses. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified and local investigators “are working diligently to identify and hold those responsible accountable,” according to the statement.

“The Tracy Police Department will never tolerate any act of hatred or bias-motivated crimes,” according to the statement. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Gustavo Cisneros at (209) 831-6615 or Gustavo.Cisneros@tracypd.com.

Tracy Crime Stoppers, in collaboration with Tracy Unified School District, is offering a $1,000 reward leading to the arrest of those responsible. Tips can be submitted to (209) 831-4847 or Tracycrimestoppers.com or the P3 Tips app.