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Pocono Home Vandalized with Racist Graffiti for Second Time

TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP — Racist graffiti was written all over a Jewish family’s home in Monroe County for a second time. Swastikas and other racist mess...

TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP -- Racist graffiti was written all over a Jewish family's home in Monroe County for a second time.

Swastikas and other racist messages have the homeowners and neighbors on edge.

The Zurubin family has lived in the Poconos for more than a decade and never expected anything like this to happen to their home.

"You have swastikas with smiley faces and lol right next to it. It's an interesting message people are trying to send," said Eduard Zarubin.

Zarubin and his family were greeted with an unwelcoming message at their home at Locust Lake Village. Swastikas were painted on the doors and windows and racist messages had been written on the table on their patio.

The Jewish immigrants moved from Russia to New York in the late '90s. The family bought their home in the Poconos in 2005 to have a place to get away from the city.

"Having swastikas drawn on our walls does hit close to home. My grandmother lost brothers during World War II. It's upsetting," Zarubin said.

This isn't the first time their home has been vandalized. As recently as May, men are seen on video damaged parts of the house and the family's truck. Pocono Mountain Regional Police are still working to identify who those men are.

"It is a quiet little village. There's really no neighbors around. If something else happens, it is very unlikely that somebody is going to hear you or be able to do something about it," Zarubin explained.

Neighbors who have lived here for years tell Newswatch 16 the hate filled messages are shocking.

"I have children here besides myself, and people committing these kind of hate crimes not thinking of families and everything else, so it is terrifying," said neighbor Alex Pinkok.

Zarubin plans to paint over the racist messages and put up cameras.

"Thank God nobody got hurt and nobody was physically affected by it. Property is property. That will get repaired. I just hope the authorities will be able to do something about it so future incidents won't happen," Zarubin said.

Pocono Mountain Regional Police are still investigating the first incident. Security at Locust Lake Village suggests that homeowners stay vigilant.

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