Vehicle vandalism at ISU being investigated as a hate crime

Vandalism of three cars on the Idaho State University campus is being investigated as a hate crime.

Police and ISU administrators are taking swift action to make sure that students and community members know that this type of violence will not be tolerated.

The vandalism took place at the parking lot of a student housing area just south of the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

It is a picturesque place to live with beautiful views of the valley, but Wednesday night that beauty turned into ugliness when three international students became the victims of a hate crime.

Tires slashed, eggs thrown on the vehicles and now police investigating it as a hate crime.

Officers are searching for the driver of this car. This picture caught on surveillance video on campus.

It’s a black Dodge Avenger.
Police say if you know anything, speak out, and that is ISU President Kevin Satterlee’s message as well. Don’t let this happen in our community.

“As members of the Pocatello Chubbuck community and of Idaho State University, we are better than that,” Satterlee said. “And we can be better than that so I will take a strong stand that this type of conduct will not be tolerated and if it happens on our campus we’re not going to run from it we are going to talk about it and we’re going to deal with it.”

Satterlee immediately addressed the Idaho State University community, sending out an email to the students and faculty saying this won’t be tolerated. Reading in part that Idaho State University needs to foster an environment of compassion, inclusion respect and dignity.

He also reached out to the students involved.

Additional ISU campus security and Pocatello police patrols will be in the area until the crime is solved.

Idaho state officials say they plan to pursue the maximum legal punishment for the people involved.