Home » Oakhurst » YHS Coach Victim Of Apparent Hate Crime

YHS Coach Victim Of Apparent Hate Crime

OAKHURST — Sheriff’s deputies are investigating what appears to be a racially motivated hate crime near Yosemite High School.

Victor Salazar's car with Faggot painted on it - photo courtesy Victor SalazarWhen YHS JV soccer coach Victor Salazar returned home from a weekend getaway, he was greeted with the sight of his father’s Chevy Silverado covered with mustard and plastic wrap.

Victor says he arrived back at the home on Pierce Drive at about 4 p.m. on Sunday after spending the weekend visiting family in the Valley.

When he pulled into the driveway of the home where he lives with his parents Agustin and Norma Salazar, and three younger sisters, he saw the vandalized pickup, but figured it was just kids pulling a prank, and cleaned up the mess, but didn’t report it to law enforcement.

His parents arrived home at about 9 p.m., and by 11 o’clock, everyone was asleep.

Left rear quarter panel - photo courtesy Victor SalazarSometime around 12:30 a.m., the Salazar’s neighbors heard dogs barking and went outside to investigate. They interrupted a pair of perpetrators who were in the process of vandalizing Victor’s Volkwagen Jetta. When they spotted the neighbors, the two dropped their cans of paint and ran away, but not before doing major damage and painting hateful messages all over the vehicle.

The two were described to deputies as male, one heavy-set and about 6 ft. tall; another skinny and about 5′ 6″ tall. Both were dressed all in black.

The vandals had splashed paint all over the car, smashed several dents into it, and written “Go back to Mexico,” “cut my grass better” and “faggot” on the sides and rear of the vehicle.

They had also drawn a phallic symbol with the word “Trump” painted inside, smeared feces on the door handles, and toilet-papered the house.

Trump painted on Salazar car - photo courtesy Victor Salazar“We’ve lived here for 10 years, and never had anything like this happen,” says Victor who is a graduate of YHS and began coaching the JV boys soccer team last year. “The deputy asked me if I’d made anybody mad lately, but I don’t know who would have done this.”

Victor was able to wash the paint off, since it was water based and he got to it quickly, however the car is now covered with dents.

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating this as a hate crime.

Anyone with any information about this incident is encouraged to call the Madera County Sheriff’s Office at 559-675-7770 or Valley Crimestoppers at 559-498-STOP.

(Photos courtesy of Victor Salazar)

3 comments

  1. Madera County has had problems with white supremacists for decades. I hope the authorities take this seriously.

  2. Hope they get caught before this hate crime escalates…people are so full of envy and hate, they obviously need god in their life 🙁

  3. This act was the manifestation of a learned behavior. Someone told these children is was ok to hate. They are a product of their environment.
    The parents of these delinquents must take full responsibility and I’m sure the restitution will hit hard on their families, and it should. I really hope these boy get a sentence of community service, maybe that will help them to see the beautiful diversity we have here in the mountain community.

Leave a Reply

Sierra News Online

Sierra News Online