The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating gang symbols that are scattered across a Hillsborough County community. 

  • Deputies investigating gang symbols tagged across Carrollwood community
  • Gang symbols spray painted on couple's home, vehicles
  • Deputies believe it isn't gang related, just kids causing trouble

While it appears to be gang related, the sheriff's office thinks it is more likely the work of kids. 

Regardless of who's responsible for the graffiti, neighbors were shocked and extremely upset to see gang symbols spray painted on their homes. 

It was an unwelcome and upsetting wake up for Glenn and Vanessa Alexander who walked out of their house Thursday morning and saw all of the graffiti. 

"I came out and all of this, along with this stuff was spray painted over our house and two trucks," Glenn said. 

Black spray paint covered the outside walls and their two trucks, spelling out what appeared to be gang symbols. 

The Alexander's weren't the only targets -- they said another home was tagged nearby and the graffiti was also spray painted on a pavilion at a local park down the road. 

The Alexander's reported the vandalism to the sheriff's office, but officials said they don't believe it's actual gang activity, just kids causing trouble. 

Regardless, the Alexander's have quite the mess on their hands and said they're going to add extra security at their home. 

"We all need to be more watchful and if I see something going on over there, I need to report it," Glenn said. 

The Alexander's say the neighborhood needs to stick together and refuse to let this kind of trouble take over their quiet and safe community. 

"Oh, they won't scare us away if that's what they're trying to do, but we're going to patch this up and keep living," Glenn said. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said they are working several leads in the investigation, but ask for anyone with information to call the sheriff's office at (813) 247-8200.