No arrests have been made in the vandalism that unsettled longtime customers of the Airport Diner
WANTAGE -- Customers and employees of a popular diner defaced over the weekend by anti-Semitic graffiti were struggling to comprehend Monday why it had happened.
Fresh coats of paint had obscured almost all traces of the hateful, spray-painted messages, including "Kill Jews" and "Heil Hitler," from the side and rear walls of the Airport Diner, a staple for decades in this sparsely-populated rural community.
The vandalism was discovered Sunday morning by the owner, Francisco Blanco, and the first waitress to arrive. It remained the talk of the diner a day later, with customers expressing surprise and dismay.
"I think it's disgusting," said Carol Polminsky, a customer of 46 years who was accompanied by her husband, Ken, for breakfast.
"We've never seen anything like this. It's always been a nice, quiet place. It's such a shame," she added.
The diner's manager, Robin Nargiso, was juggling a steady flow of orders at 10 a.m. from behind a counter featuring photos of Lucille Ball and a Toys for Tots fundraising sticker, among other familiar touches.
Of the vandalism, Nargiso said, "No one can even figure out why it happened."
"You look at it and it doesn't make sense. We know everybody that comes in. Everybody knows each other," she said.
An investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made as of 4 p.m. Monday, Sussex County First Assistant Prosecutor Gregory Mueller said.
"Hate crimes and bias intimidation will not be tolerated in this county. The incident will be fully investigated until an arrest is made," Mueller told NJ Advance Media.
The incident prompted condemnations from the Democratic nominee for governor, Phil Murphy, and U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, whose district includes Wantage.
Murphy, in a joint statement issued with running mate and lieutenant governor candidate Sheila Oliver, said it "runs completely counter to the values of our state and our people."
"With the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days later this week, this is especially disturbing. New Jersey is, and always will be, a welcoming home for all," Murphy and Oliver stated.
Gottheimer, D-5th District, stated, "Hate and intolerance have no place in our community and country, a nation founded on the core value that all religious and ethnic backgrounds are welcomed."
Nargiso took a brief break from the counter when the Monday morning crowd thinned. She walked out to the parking lot and pointed out the fresh coats of paint -- grey on the side wall, white on the back wall -- and the graffiti that remained on the freezer door.
"You can kind of see some of it because it's bleeding through the white paint," she said, referring to the back wall.
Damage was not limited to the graffiti.
"The frozen food, they threw all over the place," she said.
Wayne Clark, another longtime customer, was at the counter on Monday morning.
"Half of us come here every day," said Clark, describing himself as a daily visitor.
Asked about the incident that had drawn so much attention to a quiet place, Clark expressed sadness.
"I can't see why people are doing that," Clark said.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.