2 Marines charged in connection with racial slurs written in a University of Maryland resident hall

CNN —

The Naval Criminal Investigative Services is investigating an incident allegedly involving two US Marines based in Washington, DC, according to a statement from Marine Barracks Washington, following reports of racial slurs written in a University of Maryland resident hall.

The two Marines — Lance Cpls. Sergio Delgado, 21, and Hayden Pritchard, 22 — were charged earlier this month in connection with a “hate bias incident” that occurred at the university in April, according to a release from the University of Maryland Police Department. NCIS is conducting the investigation alongside UMPD.

It was not immediately clear whether Delgado and Pritchard have legal representation.

On the morning of April 29, 2023, officers responded after “racial slurs against the Black community” were found inside a residence hall, according to the UMPD release. The officers responded again after “additional racial slurs” were found inside the residence hall a few hours later. Delgado was charged with one count of trespassing, while Pritchard was charged with trespassing and a count of race/religious property damage, according to the UMPD release.

Delgado and Pritchard were “identified and charged by the University of Maryland Police Department” on February 8 “after the command was notified by investigating officials in January 2024, in connection with an incident that occurred inside La Plata Hall,” according to the Marine Barracks Washington statement.

UMPD declined to comment on why the two men were on campus or how they got access to the building.

Mike Lurie, a spokesperson for the University System of Maryland, said the two men charged were not enrolled in any USMD school.

The Marine Barracks Washington statement said