A single, Black mother has been the repeated target of racist attacks and harassment at her home in Long Island, the local ABC affiliate reports.
Jennifer McLeggan is a registered nurse who owns a home in Valley Stream. She has also turned into the victim of a man who has been throwing dead squirrels and feces in her yard. McLeggan explains that she bought the property when she was pregnant and has been fixing it up. Like any homeowner, she takes great pride in her house but she kept getting fined for dog feces left in her yard.
"I'm trying my best to make every effort to clean the property. I've done my best to clean the property. I mow the lawn, when there's snow out here I'm shoveling the snow by myself. I'm doing what I can to keep the property clean," McLeggan detailed. "I kept on noticing dog feces. I kept on noticing ticket ordinances from the Valley Stream Village town. I keep getting tickets. I keep seeing dog feces."
This moved her to install a camera in hopes to catch the culprit. She ended up gathering footage of the man, but the suspect has allegedly been threatening her to erase it. She also has photos of a suspect in a black mask carrying a gun and spitting on her property. Instead of backing down, McLeggan described the aggression and threats she's received in a note taped to her door.
"In case something happens to me here, then somebody would know I'm in the house with a baby," she explained. "If I die in here, at least cops would see the sign."
The neighborhood has rallied around McLeggan. There is a protest planned for Thursday in support of McLeggan and her daughter. Also, Nassau County detectives are investigating the incidents.
"Nassau County will not tolerate any resident being harassed or intimidated because of who they are or what they look like," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement per ABC. "We take these allegations seriously, and Nassau County PD is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter."
