PENFIELD, N.Y. — The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating vandalism at Harris Whalen Park in Penfield.

It's the same park in which Elizabeth Knowles says she enjoys taking her dog on daily walks.

“The surroundings are picturesque, it’s a little step away from the chaos of Route 441," Knowles said. "You get to meet other people and socialize your dog."

But the other day she was upset to find several of the trees spray painted with swastikas.

 “It’s just disturbing," Knowles said. "My first reaction was why? What is the point? It seems silly and it’s the destruction of beautiful property we get to take advantage of here in Penfield.”

Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies says they found 17 of the trail-side trees vandalized after the town notified them of the offensive graffiti discovered Friday. They were all covered up Monday afternoon.

“It’s just totally unacceptable in our town, our county and our country,” Penfield town supervisor Tony Lafountain said.

Deputies say the same park was vandalized in a similar manner over a 10-day period last year. The town put up trail cameras, but not before the vandalism stopped. They eventually took the cameras down.

 “Disgusting. Very disappointing, very frustrated that this has happened," Lafountain said. "This is the second time in three years that this is happened and our town board is very concerned by that.”

Deputies say they aren’t sure whether it’s teenage pranks or something more serious, but the vandalism could be charged as a hate crime if they can determine the culprit’s intent. But it’s the unknown motive that worries Knowles.

“Should I be walking here? Who is in here, who is the kind of person that would do that?" Knowles said. "Is it the kind of person I would want to encounter on my own?”

Nothing else was vandalized, but the sheriff’s office will be increasing patrols, and the town will be discussing what else they can do too. Deputies ask anyone with information to call 911.