MEDINA, Ohio — The Medina County Sheriff's Office is investigating a string of crimes committed against Amish people.
Detectives are trying to figure out who is responsible for throwing railroad spikes, rocks and other items into homes, shattering windows and creating fear.
Deputies have responded to 14 similar calls for service and six police reports have been filed.
Since the Amish seem to be specifically targeted, the incidents could be considered hate crimes, according to Det. Larry Covey.
"They're picking specifically on the Amish. Nobody else is reporting this. It's been all Amish victims at this point," Covey said. "I don't understand why we would pick on that portion of our residents in the county. It just doesn't make sense to me."
Most of the criminal damage has taken place in the last two months in Homerville, a small community in the southwest section of the county largely populated by Amish.
Damage has been done to windows or to the siding of homes on Firestone Road, Camp Road and Black River School Road.
Covey said in addition to railroad spikes, pop cans, bottles filled with rocks and even tuna cans have been tossed into homes. The crimes have been taking place late at night or in the early morning hours.
No one has been charged. Investigators have little to go on other than a dark-colored four-door sedan that has been reported near some of the homes.
"If you're the person doing it, come on down. We'll have a conversation," Covey said
An Amish man who lives and works in the area said the crimes have created a lot of worry. He did not want to be identified.
"They're scared. They have a family to protect," he said. "One of the first ones that was thrown was an Estwing hammer through a window in a living room on a rocking chair at like 3 o'clock in the morning."
He's grateful no one has been hurt, but worries that could happen if the crimes continue.
"I mean, railroad spikes— that's dangerous," he said. "If there's anything against us, or what makes it happen? That's the thing I have a question about. Whatever makes this happen, if people could talk to us, if we could sit down and talk together and be friends."
Covey said if the suspects are identified, they could be charged with a form of a hate crime known as ethnic intimidation.
"Anything that is race, religion— anything like that we can put together— we'll up the offense," he said.
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