Hmong Cultural Center Museum vandalized days after opening, no arrests made

The Hmong Cultural Center Museum, located in the South Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, was vandalized overnight.

The St. Paul Police Department says at about 9:10 a.m. Wednesday, an officer was sent to the Hmong Cultural Center Museum at University and Western avenues after receiving a report of criminal damage to property.

When police arrived, they noticed that someone had spray-painted over artwork that was previously painted on the boarded-up windows.

A cultural center spokesperson said the crime occurred at about 3:45 a.m., according to a neighboring business’s surveillance camera. The footage shows three suspects wearing white masks spraying white paint over the artwork, and a stamp with the slogan "Life, Liberty, Victory." The language has often been used by a white supremacist group called "Patriot Front."

May’s Market, a business next to the cultural center, also was spray-painted white.

As of Wednesday, no arrests have been made and the case remains under investigation.

CAIR-MN issued the following statement regarding the vandalism:

"Anti-Asian hate is on the rise and this latest attack targeting the Hmong Museum should be condemned in the strongest terms.

"We call on local, state and national law enforcement authorities to treat this incident as a hate crime and for elected officials to condemn it and work to pass hate crime legislation that has been outlined by many civil rights organizations."