In a country where people of color, namely Black and Hispanics, are being assaulted and cornered for just existing, a small cul de sac community in Virginia Beach are fighting back against racism in a concerted way.
Virginia Beach PD, according to local news site WAVY, has responded to numerous calls from those in Salem Lakes, fed up with their neighbor who has taunted them from behind his front door for more than a year.
Jannique Martinez said her as-yet-to-be identified neighbor has retaliated to her presence by playing racial slurs and monkey noises loudly and at different points of the day.
“Whenever we would step out of our house, the monkey noises would start,” explained Martinez. “And it’s so racist and it’s disgusting.”
She would take to recording the incident on her cell phone, remarking that the noises would happen even when her school-age children were playing outside.
“My son is terrified of him. Terrified, terrified,” Martinez said to the local news about her child. “The N-word situation… they came to me and said, ‘Mom, what’s that?’ I didn’t subject my kids to that. I didn’t think they would ever have to learn what this means.”
Others have noted that the racist-next-door would do other things to get under their skin, such as play a specific song to antagonize others, or be unruly with the volume.
Neighbors have also gone on the record about being “constantly under surveillance” by the hidden figure, as there are a total of eight security cameras that protrude from the residence.
WAVY News says a total of nine complaints about the neighbor’s antics have been reported. Out of those, seven were for nuisance complaints and another three were in reference to a parking/traffic complaint.
As of press time, there have not been any criminal charges pressed against the resident in question.
Last Friday evening, concerned neighbors brought claims against the contender for worst neighbor ever, and took to the streets to protest.
Many were onsite holding signs that said positive statements like “love they neighbor” and “love wins.”