Editor’s note: This article contains racist language that could be offensive or disturbing to some readers.
For the second time in as many months, an anonymous vandal has targeted a Homer business with racist messaging.
This time, it was at Dave’s Auto Repair just outside of town on East End Road. Dave Johnson said he noticed racist messages carved into the glass windows on a white Ford Bronco around 9 a.m. Friday morning, and called the Alaska State Troopers. They were still on scene investigating the vandalism at around noon. Johnson said a metal file was disturbed when he checked his shop.
Johnson described the vandalism as being carved into the glass with some kind of sharp object or tool. On the driver’s side window, there is a message about O.J. Simpson, the former NFL player who was found not guilty in the murder of his ex wife in the 1995.
When, early in the case, Simpson was evading the police, he rode down the freeway in a white Ford Bronco.
On the back window of the vehicle, Johnson said the vandal scrawled the N-word in all capital letters. The messages are misspelled, Johnson said.
Johnson, who was born in Southeast India, grew up in Homer and graduated from school in the area.
“I hope they didn’t target me because that would be really absurd,” he said.
The vehicle that was damaged belongs to one of Johnson’s customers, whom he was still trying to notify at the time of this interview. Johnson said he’s not sure what will happen in terms of repairing the damage. He has both renters insurance and insurance for his business, but he’s not sure what the insurance company will say when he calls them.
Johnson said he doesn’t think the incident was related to his being a small business owner in town — he doesn’t have problems with anyone that he knows of.
His next steps will be to find out from the insurance company what steps he needs to take to get the Bronco repaired, and to find out what his customer wants to do, he said.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
