Rochester family targeted in hate crime

FOX 47
By Heidi Wigdahl
Tuesday, May 22, 2012

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Rochester family targeted in hate crimeROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 47) -- A Somali American family in a Rochester neighborhood was the latest target of a hate crime.

Rochester police responded to the 6100 block of NW Somersby Court just before noon on Sunday.

A vandal or vandals spray-painted offensive language on the driveway including: a swastika symbol, the letters KKK, and the word "stink".

"It wasn't like someone was trying to make it small, or discreet... it was very, I want you to look," said Fahma Mohamed, who just returned home from college.

Her sister, Deqa Mohamed went on to say, "When we came out and saw it we were kind of scared."

The spray paint appears to be similar to that of a construction crew that was seen marking sidewalks for repair on Friday.

However, it wasn't until Saturday night or Sunday morning that the vandal or vandals targeted the family's home.

"Personally, I was kind of disappointed, as everybody else was. We didn't think that things like this would be happening at this point in time," Fahma said.

This neighborhood has been the target of hate crimes in the past.

A house one block away from the Mohamed's was vandalized on May 5, 2011.

It also involved a spray-painted swastika and KKK.

"It seems as though this was planned out since it happened last year... May 5 to the other neighbors and it happened May 20 over here," Fahma said.

Neighbors helped the Mohamed's wash away the vandalism.

"All our neighbors are very open people and very nice and generous... there's always been respect," Fahma said.

Olmsted County adopted a new hate crimes initiative in February.

Shortly after the incident, a response team did meet with the family.

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