An East Side mural honoring people who were killed by local law enforcement was vandalized with black spray paint on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an act that family members and organizers say was deliberate and hateful.
The vandalism happened on Monday at the Greater Faith Institutional Church, located at 3514 Martin Luther King Drive.
The “Say Their Names” mural, created by David Blancas in collaboration with surviving family members, was unveiled by ACT 4 SA in March 2025.
Organizers said vandals blacked out the names and faces of 10 of the 14 people depicted, obscuring both the individuals honored and the mural’s title.
“It’s heartbreaking that someone would do this, especially with the message that the mural wants to get out,” said Faith Mora, whose father is among those memorialized.
The artwork, which represents nearly five years of work, includes the following people, most of whom KSAT has covered in previous reports.
- Jesse Aguirre
- Norman Cooper
- Damian Daniels
- Gilbert Flores
- Andre “AJ” Hernandez
- Bill Jones
- Kevin Johnson
- Marquise Jones
- John Pena Montez
- Emmanuel Mora
- Melissa Perez
- Charles Roundtree
- Antronie Scott
- Darrell Zemault Sr
Ananda Tomas, executive director of ACT 4 SA, told KSAT that because the mural is at the start of the MLK March route, many marchers saw the vandalism during the 39th annual MLK March and Celebration, an event meant to honor civil rights and racial justice.
Tomas said the damage appeared intentional.
“The fact that they went after the names and they went after the faces means they knew exactly what they were doing, and it was targeted,” Tomas said.
Tomas said the vandalism was meant to spread hate and carried added weight because of its timing and location.
“I think it is racism. I think it is bigotry,” Tomas said. ”I think it’s folks that don’t understand that there are many victims of violence in many ways, including police violence.”
For Mora, 14, the damage struck deeply personal.
“It’s disappointing,” she said when asked how it felt to see the portion of the mural honoring her father defaced.
Act 4 SA is raising $5,000 to help Blancas restore the mural. Blancas said the vandalism hurt the families but strengthened his resolve. Anyone who wants to help can do so by clicking here.
“They achieved what they wanted to — they defaced these individuals, and they hurt the families,” Blancas said. “For me, it only motivates me. It’s a painting, and it’s something I can always repaint.”
The families of those honored said they look forward to seeing the mural restored. Mora said speaking out was her way of honoring her father.
“I just hope he’s proud that I came and spoke out for the mural and for him,” she said.
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