Deputies: Vandalism Of Salida Home With Homophobic Slurs Could Be Hate Crime

SALIDA (CBS13) — Sheriff's deputies say a suspect vandalized a home in Salida with homophobic slurs, and the homeowner says he's living in fear.

"I've never really felt threatened until recently," Chris Dominick said.

He says the trouble started six months ago, almost immediately after he proudly displayed his rainbow flag outside of his Salida home.

"We hung up the gay flag and three days after that was hung up, we had our garden hose slashed to pieces," he said.

That pales in comparison to what happened late Saturday. His surveillance cameras captured a glimpse of the suspect. The next day, Dominick discovered his home and cars had been egged, but that wasn't all.

The suspect left homophobic slurs graffitied on his garage.

"And then we had some drawing of a male body part next to the writing," said Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputy Anthony Bejaran.

Investigators with the sheriff's office are looking at this as a possible hate crime. It's left Dominick feeling understandably uneasy.

"Makes me feel like I'm not living in a safe neighborhood," he said.

Donald Bentz with the Sacramento LGBT Center says homophobia and transphobia are especially pervasive in rural areas.

"It's unfortunately more common than we would think," he said. "You can pass all the laws that you want. Until you change people's hearts and minds it's not really gonna change, it's still gonna continue happening."

That's what Dominick fears until an arrest is made.

"I think that this incident whoever did this, until they're caught, we're probably gonna be hit again, yet again here," he said.

Deputies believe the suspect is in his late teens or early 20s.

If a hate crime enhancement is added to felony vandalism charges, he could face several years behind bars.