Hate graffiti sprayed on homes and cars in Cambridge

Christena Hudson cleans up the damage after hate graffiti was left on her front door. -- Aug. 10, 2013

Residents of a Cambridge neighbourhood are shocked and outraged after they woke up Saturday morning to discover hate graffiti on their homes and cars.

The racist messages were spray-painted sometime overnight in the Beverly Street and Dundas Street North area.

Ernie Cabral’s truck was one of the vehicles targeted. “This is ridiculous. It’s just uncalled for… Now you don’t even know if you’re safe in your own home.”

His neighbour Mark Pacheco has lived in the area for 15 years. “I am pretty shocked. This is the worst it’s ever been.”

Christena Hudson spent Saturday morning cleaning off her front door and car. She says there are a lot of children in the area and now parents find themselves in a difficult position. “[My son] did ask what was on the door and why it was there. I don’t want to have to explain to a 2 ½ year old what a swastika means. They shouldn’t have to know at that age.”

Neighbours say it isn’t the first time something like this has happened. About a year and half ago someone painted the number “7” all over the neighbourhood.

“It’s not fair that we have to keep repainting, replacing and fixing everything,” says Hudson.

Waterloo Regional Police aren’t able to say at this stage in their investigation whether the incidents are related. However they do say they’re looking for two men seen leaving the area early Saturday morning.

Both were white men, between 5’6” and 6’0” tall. One man had dark hair and was wearing a black t-shirt and shorts. The second man was wearing a grey-hooded sweatshirt.

Residents say they have a message for the people responsible.

“Stay away from our neighbourhood,” says Hudson. “Please. We don’t want this in our area.”

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to called police.