Swastika, other images found on playground equipment

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Vandals left messages of hate on playground equipment which was to be used by special needs children. It happened at a therapy center that is still under construction in Cherokee County.

A swastika, a pentagram, and images of body parts were spray painted on the equipment and surrounding area.

"It's horrible, it's everything we're not for, we are for kids, we try to be the sunshine in their day because these parents and these kids have a lot going on," said Jennifer Puckett, who is co-owner of In Harmony Pediatric Therapy.

In Harmony Pediatric Therapy has been providing speech, physical, occupational, and music therapy to children for close to a decade. They are moving to a larger building in Cherokee County. The clinic is just weeks from completion. The owners said all was going smoothly until vandals struck.

"I got tears in my eyes, I was angry.  It's just shocking in this community, this is such a great community, just shocking to have such hate messages," said co-owner Kristi Estes.

Estes and Puckett have added cameras and additional security, plus Cherokee County Sheriff's deputies are patrolling more often.

"We're serious about making sure it doesn't happen again," said Estes.

The owners said they want whoever did this caught and held responsible.

"I will probably get to a point where I give them empathy in a few days, but right now I'm still seeing red," said Puckett.