The New York City Police Department's hate crimes unit launched an investigation Friday following an incident in which several cars were set on fire in Brooklyn while anti-Semitic graffiti was scrawled nearby, and a total of $5,000 is now being offered for information leading to a suspect's arrest in the case.

Police discovered the damage on Ocean Parkway at Avenue I in Midwood around 5:30 a.m.

The graffiti, which was found sprayed on and around the cars, included the letters KKK and SS.

NYPD officials said the bomb squad was called in to make sure nothing more destructive was left behind.

A son of one of the car owners told NY1 he heard the firetrucks on the street.

"It was my mother's car on fire right there. So we were all, then the police told us there were spray-painted things on the cars. They wrote KKK on one of the cars. They wrote F-you on another. And I heard there might have been a swastika as well," said one of the car owners' sons, Bobby Tebele. "It makes me feel sad. I mean there doesn't have to be hatred here."

State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who represents the area, said the property damage is reminiscent of Kristallnacht, the infamous Night of Broken Glass in 1938 Germany whose anniversary was this week.

"This neighborhood is in shock, absolute shock. The kind of things people have come over to me are unbelievable. Y'know, 'Kristallnacht, we gotta move!' People are very disturbed by this kind of stuff happening," Hikind said.

In a statement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg also considered the Kristallnacht connection but denounced the crimes regardless of their impetus.

“The fact that this most recent attack came on the heels of the 73rd anniversary of Kristalnacht may or may not be a coincidence," said Bloomberg in the statement. "Either way, this kind of hateful act has no place in the freest city in the freest country in the world.”

In the same statement, Bloomberg also said hate crimes are down 30 percent citywide this year.

People in the predominantly Jewish neighborhood said they're used to seeing anti-Semitic vandalism from time to time.

"I'm a Holocaust survivor, I take it personally they burn cars in front of houses where Jewish people are living," said one Midwood resident.

"You wonder how we're gonna have a peaceful world. Everybody says some day, but I don't know," said another.

The Anti-Defamation League is offering a $4,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Additionally, City Councilman David Greenfield is offering a $1,000 reward.

Anyone with information about the case is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS, by texting TIP577 to CRIMES, or by going to NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.