MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (CW44 News At 10) – Several neighbors in the Lakewood Ranch Community found racist messages left on their driveways Wednesday night.
Residents say they found a message in a plastic bag, weighted down by pebbles.
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“It was just full of hate. These are do-nothings and know-nothings,” said one resident, John Reichner.
Reichner found one of the flyers on his driveway Wednesday night.
“My wife actually saw the vehicle that was tossing them out in everybody’s driveway in the neighborhood. It was a black pick-up truck,” said Reichner.
The message reads “Wake up white man! Your race is being replaced.” and “Stop race mixing. Start having white children.”
“Calling it litter would be too charitable. They are throwing garbage in our neighborhood. We don’t need it,” said Reichner.
Another resident, Frank Rivera, who heard about the messages was just as upset.
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“This is something that is a plague to our society, it’s a poison to our community,” said Rivera.
Now security is a concern.
“It would make people feel unsafe just due to the fact that we are so diverse in most of the areas,” said Rivera.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints about the messages in the last 24 hours and is monitoring the situation.
“I really hope that this is something that one person did and they’ll stop. Because it’s not right,” said Rivera.
“It does not reflect the values of this neighborhood,” said Reichner
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If you have any information about these messages, officials ask you to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
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