BEACH HOME.
WHY POLICE ARE TREATING THIS AS
A HATE CRIME.
REPORTER: POLICE SAY THIS HOME
SECURITY VIDEO SHOWS A VANDAL IN
ACTION.
ON AUGUST 29TH THIS MAN WAS
CAUGHT TAKING HIS TIME WHILE
DEFACING AND VANDALIZING A BLACK
LIVES MATTER SIGN PUT UP BY A
REDONDO BEACH RESIDENT.
WE HAD TO BLUR WHAT HE WROTE AND
DREW.
THERE'S NO SPACE FOR SUCH
ANGER AND SUCH HATRED, THERE
REALLY ISN'T.
REPORTER: ALLISON LIVE ARES NEAR
THE HOMEOWNER WHO PUT UP THE
SIGN ON A CORNER WHERE IT'S
HIGHLY VISIBLE.
THE HOMEOWNER, JEFF HAZELTINE,
DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON CAMERA, BUT
HE TOLD US SINCE EARLY JULY HE
AND HIS DAUGHTER HAVE HUNG UP
THREE BLM SIGNS.
HE SAYS DURING THAT TIME SOME OF
THE COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN TEARING
THEM DOWN, VANDALIZING THEM WITH
RACIAL SURES, SPRAY PAINTING
THEM WITH POLITICAL MESSAGES,
EVEN SMEARING DOG FECES ON ONE
OF THEM.
POLICE ARRESTED 48-YEAR-OLD
RANDALL WALTON OF REDONDO BEACH
FOR VANDALISM AND A HATE CRIME.
IT'S A HATE CRIME.
GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING IT, IT INVOLVES
SLURS AND DEROGATORY TERMS FOR A
SPECIFIC RACE AND IN THIS CASE.
REPORTER: HAZELTINE SAYS DESPITE
THE ACTS OF HATRED, MOST OF HIS
NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE,
SERVING HIS FAMILY NOTES AND
EVEN CASH TO MAKE A STRONGER AND
STURDIER SIGN.
WE, I MEAN, THE NEIGHBORS
THAT I KNOW, SUPPORT IT.
WHAT WE DON'T SUPPORT ARE PEOPLE
COMING AND REALLY DESECRATING
AND PUTTING JUST VILE COMMENTS,
HATE CRIME COMMENTS, VISUALS.
WE HAVE NO PLACE FOR THAT.
REPORTER: NOW THEIR FOURTH SIGN
IS UP, AND SOME NEIGHBORS
DECIDED TO SHOW SOME LOVE WITH
CHALK.
HAZELTINE TELLS US HIS SIGN HAS
STARTED A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS
AND HAS PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES
TO TALK TO CHILDREN LIKE THIS
LITTLE BOY WHO JUST STOPPED AND
STARED.
AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE COMING
TOGETHER.
REPORTER: POLICE SAY THEY WANT
RESIDENTS TO EXERCISE THEIR
FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS BUT WILL
NOT TOLERATE VANDALISM OR HATE
CRIMES.
THEY SAY THEY'LL PRESENT THEIR
CASE AGAINST RANDALL WALTON TO
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
