ATLANTA — There's now a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of drivers who left skid marks on Midtown Atlanta's iconic rainbow crosswalk.
The vandalism happened overnight last weekend when Atlanta Police said they responded to reports of street races at the decorated 10th Street and Piedmont Road intersection.
The reckless driving caused more than loud noise. Officers arrived and saw the city's rainbow crosswalks were covered in tire burnout markings.
"We want to be clear, we have zero tolerance for this in our city," APD wrote in a statement.
The crosswalks were first temporarily installed in 2015, then the city took over the project in 2017, paying $196,000 to make them permanent. That high price tag is because the rainbow colors are actually not made up of paint, but thermoplastic tiles instead.
Officers said the vehicles were no longer there by the time they responded. They're still looking for the people responsible for the damage, offering a $2,000 reward for anyone who has information about the drivers.
There is a surveillance camera at a corner nearby that could have captured what happened, Atlanta Police have not released that video. 11Alive asked the city if it believes this community was purposely targeted toward the LGBTQ+ community, a city spokesperson responded:
"We have no reason to believe this is anything more than reckless, idiotic driving. Our teams are looking into the matter."
Anyone with information on who caused the damage is asked to call Crime Stoppers. Information can be submitted anonymously to the tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or online.