CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Work at a non-profit supporting veterans is on pause after vandals ruined their vehicle with racial slurs. For the last 14 years, Curtis Drafton has used a Chrysler 300 for U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame, a non-profit that helps connect veterans with essential needs like food and housing. “Nearly 200 thousand miles went toward helping veterans so that means every day whether that was dropping off food or transportation to medical appointments,” Drafton said. He parked the car at a lot on Graham Street Saturday night and Sunday morning he found the vehicle ruined. Vandals painted racial slurs in permanent paint and destroyed the engine. “They poured some kind of a polymer into the gas line so it locked the engine up and therefore totaled the car basically,” Drafton said. Drafton filed a police report and the car was towed away, now 80% operations for veterans are on pause. “Now today and for days to come weeks and months, they’re not going to see that car pull and they’re going to start to lose hope,” Drafton said. Drafton says the organization needs the car to keep the mission going and help veterans in the area. “We would love to get back on the ground,” Drafton said. “So if there’s a vehicle or something we can access let’s get to work.” CMPD is investigating the case. There are cameras in the plaza where Drafton was parked but he says they are pointed toward the businesses and the lot is not in the view. ...read more read less