After their home was vandalized three times, a Lynnfield family says they’ve been victims of a hate crime

LYNNFIELD, Mass. — Update: A rally is being held Sunday morning until 11:30 a.m. in South Lynnfield, across from the post office at the corner of Salem and Summer Street.

A family in Lynnfield has been targeted by vandals for a third time and they are calling it a hate crime.

“I do think it’s personal,” said Andrea Markarian.

Markarian said they’re just drained after once again cleaning up a mess left by vandals in their own front yard.

“I’m sad because whoever this is, I would love to know what they’re thinking,” said Markarian.

It started Sunday night when their Black Lives Matter sign was stolen. The next day, offensive messages were spray painted on their driveway. Then, Wednesday morning, they woke up to more hateful tagging on a tree.

Markarian now thinks this could be a targeted attack because of race.

“In all reality, we’re out here a lot and people see us, we don’t try and hide. We’ll be the first person to wave at you no matter who you are, so I do think it’s personal,” said Markarian.

But now, it’s the outpouring support from neighbors they don’t even know, that Markarian calls the silver lining to this cruel act. She said total strangers from the community showed up early this morning with brushes and cleaning products, ready to remove the hateful words from the bark.

“The emotions just are, the love that I’ve been receiving is just, very overwhelming. I can’t hug these people, but I want to!” said Markarian.

Jay Duchin is just one of many stopping by offering his help. Like others who showed up for this family, Duchin said it’s their job to hold their neighbors up during troubling times like this.

“I feel it’s a community responsibility that everyone come together and put their foot down and say this has to stop. This is not right, this is disgusting,” said Duchin.

Lynnfield Police said are actively investigating, they said the messages are very similar to some vandalism found at Pillings Pond earlier this summer.

The family is now working to install cameras on their house in hopes to deter the person who’s responsible.

Cox Media Group