In Central Ohio, several Bexley residents reported finding swastika stickers placed on political campaign signs outside their homes.

Todd Applebaum said five political signs outside his home were vandalized with Nazi symbols. He said that he later learned that other homes in the community had experienced similar incidents.

Applebaum said he first learned about the vandalism in the morning of Oct. 19, after seeing a post on Bexley Buzz, a local community Facebook group.

“Someone posted on the Bexley Buzz, which is the communication website for my city, and another woman and husband got Nazi symbols on their political signs,” Applebaum told the Columbus Jewish News.

He said he responded to the post to express his sympathy and offered to provide the couple with replacement signs, not realizing that his own property had also been targeted.

Later that afternoon, Applebaum said a representative from the Jewsh Columbus’ Community Relations Council approached his home and asked whether he had noticed what happened to his signs.

After checking his property, Applebaum discovered that five of his campaign signs had been vandalized.

According to Applebaum’s Facebook post, the affected signs supported Republican statewide candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Frank LaRose and Jon Husted. He also reported that his American flag had been vandalized with swastika stickers.

Applebaum said he contacted police and filed a report. He later learned from officers that four other homes were known to have been affected.

He said police were investigating the incidents and had collected the signs to examine them for fingerprints.

Bexley Police Chief Gary Lewis confirmed that a report had been filed and said officers were working to obtain video footage as part of the investigation.

“There’s really nothing to comment on.” Lewis told the CJN. “They’ve placed it, we took a report, and we’re trying to pull video and see if we can take any investigative steps.”

In a Facebook statement, Bexley Mayor Mike Price said he had been in discussions with the police department and several residents about the incidents over the past 48 hours.

“This defacement included the placement of stickers bearing the swastika symbol, an act that is far more shocking and threatening than mere vandalism,” Price wrote.

He said the swastika represents a regime founded in bigotry and violence and described the use of the symbol as a hateful and threatening act that would not be tolerated in Bexley.

Price said police would continue investigating and encouraged anyone with information to contact the department’s nonemergency line at 614-559-4444.

“Let’s work together to make sure every resident in our City feels welcome, accepted, and safe,” Price wrote.

Applebaum called the incidents a reminder of the importance of respect and civility among neighbors, regardless of political differences.

“What happened in Bexley last night is appalling, disgraceful, illegal, hateful and should serve as a wake-up call to return to civility and respect,” he wrote on Facebook.