A man has been arrested for allegedly spray-painting a swastika on a political sign supporting former President Donald Trump at the home of a Republican official in Cohasset, Massachusetts.
Frederic Laidlaw was identified as the man who painted the Nazi symbol on the sign posted on Route 3 through a video shared with investigators from the social media site Nextdoor, according to a report from Cohasset police filed in Quincy District Court.
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When officers arrived at his home in Cohasset Thursday morning, Laidlaw said, "Guilty," then, "what took you so long?" according to the report.
Next to his car, which had been seen in the video, was a can of black spray paint, according to police.
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Laidlaw allegedly apologized before being taken into custody on a charge of defacing property.
It wasn't immediately clear if Laidlaw had an attorney who could speak to his arrest.
After discovering the hate symbol on his political sign Wednesday, Kevin O'Donnell, chair of the Cohasset Republican Town Committee, denounced its use.
"I just thought we were above that. I just thought that wouldn't occur in this election, or any election — there's no Nazis in America," O'Donnell previously told NBC10 Boston.
Massachusetts Republican National Committeewoman Janet Fogarty said she was "very disappointed" to learn of the defacement, noting, "There's a strong Jewish community on the South Shore, and it's a very heavily-trafficked road."
Steve Kerrigan, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, also denounced the vandalism.
"Even with such a hard-fought campaign, we must be able to conduct our elections free of any and all vandalism or violence," Kerrigan said in a statement. "We are better than this."
There has been an increase in sign thefts and vandalism in the leadup to the 2024 election across Massachusetts and across the political spectrum.
Earlier this month, lawn signs supporting three Democrats — Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jim McGovern — were set on fire in a Sterling yard.
Last month in Tyngsborough, Trump signs were cut up and tossed into the woods.
