MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A Miami Beach family is speaking out after they found two swastikas in their home while it was being renovated.
One swastika was found on the permit box on the front gate of the residence along West 35th Street.
Patsy Shapiro, who has two small children, said her husband discovered the first swastika.
“Did you know there’s a swastika on the permit box?” Shapiro remembered her husband asking.
Parts of the Shapiros’ home were being renovated, and this week, Shapiro found another swastika inside the home.
“I pulled this out. I’m like, ‘Maybe we can put this over here?’ And when I pulled it up, I saw it,” she said. “We were not meant to see it.”
Another swastika was drawn on a piece of wood that was to be fixed to the wall as part of a toy chest of drawers, perhaps never to be noticed. Until it was realized, the piece of wood didn’t fit.
Shapiro said the piece of wood was meant to be part of her children’s playroom.
“We all went white. [We] couldn’t believe someone would actually put a swastika in someone’s home, and more so in a kid’s playroom,” she said. “It’s full of toys. You know that’s a designated playroom, so how deep does your hate go for Jews that you feel that’s necessary — that you need an insidious branding where nobody’s gonna see it?”
The family said part of why they moved to this neighborhood was because it was predominantly Jewish and a great place to raise their children.
Shapiro said, “I mean, now I’m wondering, ‘Are there swastikas behind our bathrooms?’ How many swastikas are in there?”
Miami Beach Police came to the house Wednesday to figure who is behind the hateful symbols found at the home.
“They said to me, ‘We have to take this seriously because this is considered a hate crime,’” Shapiro said.
Though the vandalism in the home was a tiny symbol, there’s no doubt about the deliberate message it sends.
“Does the size of the crime measure the hate in their heart?” Shapiro said. “Just because it’s small, does it mean that the hate is small?
Shapiro said she will have to go around at night and check that every door is locked and the curtains are closed.
“How much does this person know about me? And what’s their intention?” Shapiro said.
If you have any information on who may have drawn these swastikas, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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