POLAND – Two Poland women say vandals destroyed their home – breaking windows, trashing belongings and scrawling sexual obscenities on walls – because they are lesbians.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department is investigating and believes teenagers are responsible for the break-in. The Attorney General’s office is considering the vandalism a potential hate crime.
“There was no reason to do this,” said Keri Fuchs, one of the women involved. “We weren’t bothering anybody.”
Fuchs, 56, and her partner, Linda Boutaugh, 49, have lived in their mobile home on Downey Lane for five years. The women were away last Friday, in the midst of moving to East Millinocket, when someone broke into their Poland home.
Rooms were looted for valuables and a family urn was stolen. Windows were smashed, shelving and furniture destroyed and belongings sprayed with a fire extinguisher, they said. Someone defecated next to the toilet. Sexual obscenities were written on the walls.
In the driveway, Boutaugh’s car windows and lights were smashed. A neighbor noticed the Pontiac’s damage Saturday morning and called the women.
“We just dropped what we were doing and ran down,” Fuchs said.
They found the home unlivable.
The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department believes the vandalism is connected to two other car burglaries that happened around the same time, though only Fuchs’ and Boutaugh’s house was damaged. Police found some of the women’s belongings, as well as belongings stolen from other area cars, in a teenager’s home.
Police believe more than one teen may have been involved. They continue to investigate and have not charged anyone with a crime.
“Sometimes it doesn’t pay to run right out and make an arrest,” said Lt. Glenn Holt.
The Maine attorney general’s office handles civil rights cases and plans to consider the women’s case. Separate from the police department, the AG’s office can charge someone with a hate crime, asking the court to impose fines and stop further harassment.
“A substantial share” of Maine’s hate crimes involve sexual orientation, according to spokesman Chuck Dow. Exact figures were not available Friday.
Fuchs and Boutaugh said they’ve had a few other incidents in Poland. Adult neighbors were tolerant, they said, but kids rode by on their bikes and called the couple names. Someone once tore down their “No trespassing” signs and destroyed an outside clothes line.
“Compared to this, they were minor,” Fuchs said.
The women had planned to sell both the mobile home and the car, but they said the buyers backed out after they learned of the damage. They hope insurance will help recover some of the cost of the items broken or stolen.
Right now, they just want the vandal – or vandals – found.
“He’s walking around free,” Fuchs said. “We’re angry and we want justice.”
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