A swastika mowed into a front lawn in the tiny village of Alhambra, Illinois, prompted a hate crime investigation by Madison County authorities this week, local media reported, in the latest in a series of disturbing incidents where Jews have been the target across the United States.
Jordan Payne, who has lived in the 700-person village since 1987, discovered the giant Nazi emblem while out walking over the weekend.
Advertisement
He told First Alert 4 that he was “very surprised to see Nazi insignia carved into the lawn with a mower.”“It’s a slap in the face, a scar on our village,” Payne said.
The property owner, construction manager Mike Eaton, denied involvement and said he cut the grass as soon as neighbors alerted him to the existence of the symbol.
Alhambra’s city attorney and local police were determining whether the act met the legal threshold for a hate crime. Nearby residents expressed shock; one told St. Louis-based Fox 2, “We don’t want to see this kind of hate in our town.”
Advertisement
A swastika mowed into the grass of a lawn in Alhambra is now at the center of an investigation and drawing concern from advocates across the St. Louis region. https://t.co/sG5Zndathl
Helen Turner, the director of education at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, said that the vandalism fits a wider pattern.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes,” she told First Alert 4, warning that antisemitic rhetoric often “quickly escalates into violence.”
Advertisement
National climate of hate
The Illinois case emerged just days after an Egyptian national wielding a makeshift flamethrower wounded at least 12 people at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado.
Federal prosecutors said the suspect shouted “free Palestine” and sought to “kill all Zionist people.”
Nazi Swastika (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Advertisement
The Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 audit recorded 8,873 antisemitic incidents nationwide, the highest number since the organization began tracking this in 1979.
Illinois alone saw a 74% jump between 2022 and 2023, with 211 cases ranging from harassment to assault.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also denounced the lawn vandalism, calling the swastika “a symbol of hate and genocide that has no place in a civilized society.”
Advertisement
CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab urged authorities “to take the promotion of bigotry seriously and to address it whenever and wherever it occurs.”
CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said the organization “stands in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.”
Advertisement
‘We will prosecute’
Turner stressed the need for swift legal action. “It typically begins with words, but it very quickly escalates into violence. The only counter to that is for our society to say, ‘These actions have no place here. We will prosecute.’”
As Pride Month began on June 1, local LGBTQ+ advocates noted parallels between rising antisemitism and a documented 80 % spike in anti-LGBTQ+ threats since 2023, according to a new GLAAD report.
For now, investigators in Alhambra were still piecing together how the swastika came to be on the lawn.
Advertisement
Payne said that the hateful emblem did not reflect his hometown’s values: “This isn’t who we are.”
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office is warning residents of a “new surge” in scam texts claiming to be from the DMV and demanding money.
According to a press release from Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, residents are receiving text messages falsely claiming to either be from his office or a DMV, threatening suspension of license and vehicle registration if “fines” are not paid.
The messages often include links that can be used to steal residents’ information, and Giannoulias’ office is reminding residents to use vigilance and caution when receiving such messages.
“These text messages look legitimate and are designed to frighten people into acting quickly before they have time to think,” Giannoulias said. “Our office will never send a text message demanding payment or threatening to suspend someone’s license. If you receive a message like this, remember it’s a scam – plain and simple. Do not click the link and please report the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov.”
Advertisement
According to his office, the messages often reference fake regulations or deadlines, and cite an upcoming enforcement date to add an air of urgency to the texts.
“These schemes are designed to create panic and trick individuals into surrendering money or personal information,” the Secretary of State’s Office said.
If a motorist receives a text, they are urged:
-NEVER to click a link
-Do not reply
Advertisement
-Do not provide personal information
-Forward the message to the SOS’ scam alert email.
The only legitimate text messages the Secretary of State’s Office sends are to remind motorists of upcoming appointments at DMV facilities.
The No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (25-8) take on the No. 11 seed VCU Rams (28-7) with a Sweet 16 spot on the line on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
How to watch VCU Rams vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Stats to know
Illinois has a +501 scoring differential, topping opponents by 15.2 points per game. It is putting up 85.0 points per game to rank 17th in college basketball and is allowing 69.8 per outing to rank 67th in college basketball.
Illinois knocks down 11.0 three-pointers per game (eighth-most in college basketball), 2.6 more than its opponents (8.4). It is shooting 34.9% from deep (126th in college basketball) while allowing opponents to shoot 31.3%.
VCU has a +347 scoring differential, topping opponents by 9.9 points per game. It is putting up 81.6 points per game, 55th in college basketball, and is giving up 71.7 per outing to rank 116th in college basketball.
VCU knocks down 9.4 three-pointers per game (60th in college basketball) at a 36.9% rate (31st in college basketball), compared to the 6.8 per game its opponents make, at a 32.9% rate.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Photo: Patrick Smith, Andy Lyons, Steph Chambers, Jamie Squire / Getty Images
