EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — Eagle Mountain residents are no strangers to graffiti markings in the area, but on Monday, something felt different.
Ember Carter has lived in Eagle Mountain for 23 years, and on Monday morning, something caught her eye.
“I felt kicked in the stomach. I felt my chest tighten, and I just felt sick, not just for me, but for my community,” she said.
Carter discovered inappropriate messages written on a mailbox near her home, and after walking down a little way, found the message “I hate” followed by the n-word written near the roadway.
“There's just no place for this,” Carter said. "Words are terrible, and the n-word is despicable.”
Carter said seeing the message hit close to home.
“We have four kids, two adopted and two biological. The two that are adopted are African-American,” Carter said.
After posting it on her community page, Carter was flooded with support, even from some who have only been in the neighborhood for four months.
“Seeing a post like that was really shocking to me, and I think for me, I just wanted to show up for the kids,” said neighbor Michelle Grobe. "Let them know that whatever was written on that sidewalk, whatever was vandalized there, says nothing about them, but everything about the person that did it.”
Carter contacted the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement told FOX 13 News that they contacted the property owner as well as the U.S. Postal Service and had it cleaned up within hours.
“Hold the kids accountable. Go to the doors asking people to check their footage,” Carter said. “Do something about it. Don't just slap them on the wrist and let them get away with it. Find them. Make them come scrub it.”
Carter said seeing her community stand together gives her hope.
“I just was posting that we can do better, and so many people, and I'm so grateful for that, and we have so many good people. And I just hate seeing our city on the news for bad things,” she said.
But neighbors like Grobe want to continue to make Eagle Mountain a welcoming place for everyone.
“This does not represent our community at all,” Grobe said. "This represents maybe a small pocket of people, and I want them to feel safe and to know that they are welcome here."
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office was unable to do an interview with FOX 13 but said they’re going to increase their patrols in the area, as well as continue to check neighbors' Ring camera footage.
They are also encouraging residents to review their own footage, and if they see something, report it to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
