A Northern Virginia community has again been targeted by vandals, who police say are targeting those of Indian American descent.
Last week, News4 reported the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office was investigating a handful of vandalism cases involving discriminatory language against Hindus. An Ashburn resident said she was walking along a trail with her children when she noticed graffiti, reading, "No Hindus Allowed."
This week, deputies tell News4 four more cases of similar vandalism have been reported this week, though they say the last case is not connected to the others.
Loudoun County resident Sandeep Punugu said his neighbor's home was "egged," the landscaping damaged and hateful messages about people of Indian descent were written on his garage.
"Targeting a particular community feels sad," Punugu said. "I think we should all live peacefully together. I don't think this type of hate crime should be happening. I don't understand why anyone would target Indians in particular."
Last week, Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman said the incidents are unfortunate and make the community look bad.
"It's disappointing to see this," he said. "It's a lack of understanding of cultural diversity and it is something we have to really understand and embrace."
