Police: Man admits painting swastika, damaging playing field

A Gloucester City man admitted spray-painting a swastika on a Camden building and damaging an adjacent athletic field used by the Camden Raiders youth football program, police said Tuesday.

Alexander Peters, 28, was arrested after investigators said they spotted him on surveillance video driving a truck onto the fields behind Malandra Hall in the Fairview section Oct. 9.

The vandalism happened five days before Peters was sentenced to a three-year term for a separate crime: aggravated assault. The assault occurred in July, according to court records. Additional details on that incident were not available.

According to Peters' Facebook profile, he attended Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School and worked at the Gloucester Marine Terminal. Officials there said he was terminated several years ago.

Peters was being housed at the Camden County Jail when police located and questioned him at the police station Monday. He has since been charged with criminal mischief and taken back to the jail, authorities said.

Mayor Dana L. Redd said Peters "recklessly ruined our field."

"This selfish and hateful act should never be tolerated," she said in a statement.

The Department of Public Works is repairing the fields, she said.

mboren@phillynews.com

856-779-3829 @borenmc