A family in Summerland in British Columbia awoke in the dead of night to hear the sound of rocks crashing through their window.
The following morning their children who drove hours to comfort their parents discovered vandals had spray painted swastikas and other graffiti on the home.
“The saddest part is that my mom didn’t even know what the swastika was and what it meant,” 32-year-old Shivali Lekhi told The Star.
The incident has stunned a community.
“Sickened, really, that a family that had been here for so long and had never experienced this had such a violation of their personal property and a violation of the safety that they feel in Summerland,” Mayor Toni Boot told the Global News.
Authorities suspect the vandals behind the vandalism of the Lekhi home also hit a nearby bandshell stage in Memorial Park.
“Investigators believe both incidents of vandalism are connected and have notified the RCMP’s Hate Crime Team, as they continue their criminal investigation to identify the person or persons responsible,” said Const. James Grandy to MSN.
“It’s definitely heartbreaking,” said Abhishek Lekhi who says the family has lived there since the 1980s. “Seeing something like this happen to your home, your safe space, it’s not something you’d ever imagine.”
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.