Cesar Chavez mural in San Fernando cleaned after being vandalized

SAN FERNANDO, Calif (KABC) -- The Cesar E. Chavez Memorial in San Fernando has been cleaned up after someone vandalized it earlier this week.

The son-in-law of the artist, Ignacio Gomez, discovered the scene Tuesday night.

You can see black paint thrown over the images of Cesar Chavez and Dr. Martin Luther King.

Thankfully, a graffiti-resistant seal had been applied to the mural, which made it possible for the paint to be removed Wednesday morning.

Still, Gomez says news of the vandalism hit him hard.

"I was surprised that has held up this long without being vandalized, so when I learned, I was heartbroken, almost in tears," he said.

The memorial was unveiled in 2004 with members of the Chavez family present.

San Fernando police are searching for the people who committed the crime.