Police looking for suspect who smeared feces on homes, cars in possible hate crime

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - A series of potential hate crimes have police on alert in Middletown, Connecticut.

Middletown police said a person smeared feces on cars and homes throughout a neighborhood.

The incidents took place at five homes, all within about a 3-minute drive of each other.

As the crimes piled up, police believe there may be a pattern to the homes targeted.

“As we started putting it together, we started looking to see if there were any similarities, and a few people who posted on Facebook, the anonymous ones, posted they thought it was related to their pride flag and material that was displayed on their property,” said Capt. Brian Hubbs with Middletown police.

No pride flags were vandalized, but police said they were investigating whether or not the vandalism had any connection to the pride flags on the properties.

The suspect smeared feces on doors and windows of the houses and cars they targeted.

Michelle Clay said they weren’t only acts against the LGBTQ+ community but Black people, too.

“Somebody had thrown feces on my neighbor’s front window. [They] threw something on the side, then put the N-word on the back window,” Clay explained.

She saw the vandalism before her neighbor did and quickly relayed the information.

“Imagine you’re coming out of your apartment, you’re walking to your car, and that’s the first thing you see on your way to work. That’s traumatizing,” Clay said.

Clay said her neighbor cleaned up the mess, but didn’t leave the situation unaffected.

She said she was hopeful the criminal will be caught with help from their apartment complex’s cameras.

“I don’t think he knew he was on ‘Candid Camera,’ but they got pictures, they got video. So yeah, I hope they catch him,” Clay said. “It’s sickening. It’s very sickening. I don’t understand how somebody is driving around with feces just to smear it on. That’s a different level of crazy.”

Middletown police said they’re still trying to pinpoint a motive and the investigation was ongoing.

Other victims said the actions didn’t have any effect on their support of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority communities.

Copyright 2023 WFSB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.