OAKHURST — Madera County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested two juveniles, one 15 and one 16, in connection with the racially-charged vandalism in Oakhurst last night.
The suspects allegedly vandalized two vehicles by smearing paint, mustard, and feces on them as well as writing things including “faggot,” “go back to Mexico” and “cut my grass better…”
The ongoing investigation revealed that initial media coverage of the incident may have scared the suspects into contacting the victim to try to apologize for their actions in the hope that they wouldn’t get in trouble. Sierra News Online broke the story just after 10 o’clock this morning.
The vehicles that were vandalized were parked at the Salazar home on Pierce Drive in Oakhurst, and neighbors alerted the family just after 12:30 a.m. when they heard dogs barking and saw the perpetrators running away. Victor Salazar’s Volkwagen Jetta had been dented in several places and hateful messages were painted all over the vehicle. His father’s pickup had been vandalized earlier in the day.
The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate to determine the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Both juveniles were booked into the Madera County Juvenile Hall on charges of felony vandalism and committing a hate crime.
For the entire story, visit https://sierranewsonline.com/yhs-coach-victim-of-a-hate-crime/
