Suspect arrested in connection to vandalized Palm Springs community center
On Tuesday morning Palm Springs police officers arrested a man accused of vandalizing the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center building at Desert Highland Park.
The walls were filled with graffiti directed at the LGBT community as well as various races.
"This center is the center of our community. For someone to come out here and do this to us, it doesn’t make sense to me at all. I’m heartbroken," Palm Springs resident, Natalie Edwards said.
Photos sent to News Channel 3 show the building filled with graffiti that includes the saying "all life matters fool." A glass door was broken as well with graffiti covering it which reads "Not a safe space."
The graffiti has since been cleaned up.
One Palm Springs resident and her 6-year-old daughter were outside the community center on Tuesday morning.
"On one part I’m glad they removed the words from the wall because now you have a different conversation with your children on what you have to say and explain to them. There are some bad people in the world, there are people that don’t understand who we are and what we stand for. There’s some people that feel they have to get their opinions out even if they’re not nice opinions," Palm Springs resident, LaVonne Stagg-Hope said.
Pictures were also posted to social media. Many were disappointed at how the community center could be a target for hate.
"Anyone who knows that this is an African American community lives here, to come to the African American community and write something negative about Black Lives Matter means that they know we live here and this is a purposeful thing that they’ve done to try and hurt us," Stagg-Hope said.
Community center manager, Jarvis Crawford was also on site. He noticed the vandalism when he arrived to work Tuesday morning shortly before 8 a.m. He saw a car charging station had been destroyed, a shattered entrance door window and several other acts of vandalism.
"It was definitely hate there. I don’t know why hate on a community center that gives back to everyone. We serve people ages 2-92 here-- from black, white, brown-- you name it. Everyone utilizes our community center. Being a predominantly black community, that’s not who we service, it’s not just for one community, its for everyone," Crawford said.
Charinda Godakanda, 45, of Palm Springs was taken into custody for vandalism and hate crime.
According to the Palm Springs Police Department, officers were first called to that area at 12:21 AM on reports from a subject, later identified as Godakanda, claiming to have been shot near the intersection of Rosa Parks Road and Granada Avenue.
Officers made contact with Godakanda, who said he had been shot at by several unknown people who had fled. Police confirmed they found evidence of a shooting on Granada Ave and Bon Air Drive but Godakanda was not struck by any gunfire.
Police say Godakanda refused to provide any more information.
Officers were once again called to that area at 5:12 AM to respond to reports that Desert Highland Park was on fire. Nothing was on fire but officers once again made contact with Godakanda.
Officers also discovered that several walls on the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center building had been spray-painted with graffiti. Police found an unloaded shotgun and an airsoft pistol next to a shattered glass door.
Following an investigation, officers had probable cause to arrest Godakanda for the felony vandalism, a misdemeanor hate crime, misdemeanor possession of the unloaded firearm, and the misdemeanor possession of a concealed dagger.
Godakanda was later transported to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
According to jail records, Godakanda was released on $10,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on November 4. It also appears that the misdemeanor hate crime charge has been dropped.
PSPD is continuing the investigation into this incident in addition to the shooting incident. Anybody with information is asked to contact PSPD at 760-323-8116. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Valley Crime Stoppers at 760-341-STOP (7867).
Councilmember Grace Garner represents the district that the park falls under in the city of Palm Springs. Garner released a statement on the vandalism.
