TOWN OF NIAGARA, N.Y. [WKBW] — UPDATE: An arrest has been made in this case and a 60-year-old man faces a hate crime charge. You can find more information here.
When Town of Niagara native Johnny Parks woke up Monday morning he didn't notice anything unusual. Before heading to work, he drove to the coffee shop around the corner before heading back home. That's when he noticed the racist and violent graffiti on his fence.
"It's something that you never want to see at your home or anywhere else," Parks told 7 ABC.
The Parks family said their neighborhood is incredibly tight knit, which makes the threat that much more alarming. The fence that was vandalized is right next to a community park, often used by families in the neighborhood.
"There are people that hate, hate, hate, all because of a skin color," Parks' daughter Jazlyn said.
Jazlyn and her brother posted about the fence on social media and it quickly started spreading. A few hours later, The Home Depot noticed the post and volunteered to help. A crew from the hardware store showed up to the Parks' home and replaced the vandalized fence.
"The Home Depot just went above and beyond," Parks said. "[They] replaced everything. They came over with six guys and did all the work."
So while the Parks family wishes this never happened, they can't thank the community enough for their support.
"There is so much love going around now," Jazlyn Parks added. "I'm so thankful for everyone that reached out."
