United States / 06-10-2012
Area woman ‘terrified’ after swastikas found painted on driveway
West Pikeland - A weed wacker, believed to be stolen lays behind a fence at a home on Eagles Farm Road in West Pikeland on Thursday. Two swastikas were painted on the driveway late last week and outbuildings on the property were gone through.
A 75-year-old Jewish woman is looking for help from law enforcement officials after someone entered her property and painted two swastikas on her driveway.
Laura Soto, who lives alone on a large property on Eagle Farms Road, contacted police after her caretaker discovered the discriminatory symbols on Sept. 29. A barn was also broken into and other outbuildings were rummaged through. Only a weedwhacker was stolen, Soto said.
Soto said the incident left her frightened and looking for support from the West Pikeland Police Department. She called the department after the incident and asked them to conduct an investigation. She spoke an officer over the phone, she said, and felt confident that her police department would do everything they could to help her.
“I’m 75 years old, I remember what a swastika means,” Soto said. “I live alone, I’m terrified.”
When she called several days later to check on the investigation’s progress Soto heard the last thing she expected from her police department.
“I was told they are not doing an investigation,” Soto said. “I was told there was nothing to investigate.”
Soto said there was a similar incident several years ago in a neighborhood just across the street. A swastika was painted on a driveway, and, in the days that followed that incident, West Pikeland police officers canvassed the neighborhood to knock on doors in search of witnesses. Eventually, a pair of teenagers responsible for the incident was found, largely due to the efforts of police officers.
