ROSSMOOR : Swastika Vandalism Generates Outrage

A Jewish couple who found a swastika formed on their front lawn with a weed killer last month said they have been overwhelmed by sympathy shown by neighbors and strangers alike.

“People have been very supportive,� said Alvin Randall, who has lived in Rossmoor since 1953. “It was a very bad experience, but in some ways it brought something good.�

Randall said he and his wife, Helen, have received telephone calls, letters and flowers from people who were outraged by the July 17 vandalism, which is still being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

It was the first hate-related vandalism of their property, said Randall, 70, a retired drama teacher. There have been no other similar acts since, he said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Dick Olson said there have been no arrests so far and no one has come forward with information.

“We have very little to work with,� Olson said.

Shirley Bailey, president of the Rossmoor Homeowners Assn., said the vandalism caused a stir in the community of about 3,500 homes.

“This was something we normally don’t have to address here,� said Bailey, a Rossmoor resident since 1968. “This was more than graffiti. This was a hate crime.�

Randall said that he has dug up the 42-inch swastika and replaced the grass with new sod. He said that he and his wife are trying to just forget the incident.

“There is no sense adding fuel to the fire,� he said, adding that he does not want to speculate on who could be responsible for the act.

Helen Randall, who is of Polish descent, said she was frightened by the vandalism. She said she still remembers how her aunts, uncles and other relatives died in Nazi concentration camps.

“Why us, and why now?� she asked. “We belong to Jewish organizations, but we are not really active or prominent. We just don’t know why this thing happened.�