Roommates targeted with harassment, slurs, threats
Mar 15, 2022, 11:16 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 9:03 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A household of renters in Salt Lake City says they are victims of harassment, allegedly at the hands of a neighbor.
The three men have lived in their house in the Marmalade District for a little over a year. In the last two months, they’ve had their tires slashed, gay slurs spray-painted on their garage, among other things.
They say they have reported every crime to police but, at this point, they are left waiting for the next attack.
Cole Yates and his two friends are not gay but know many of their neighbors are. They say the graffiti and gay slurs are offensive — not to mention — expensive to get rid of.
A gay slur, blurred here, was panted on a garage door in Salt Lake City.
“The first incident was me walking out to my car and I just happened to catch her, in the act, of slashing my tire,” Yates said. That was just the beginning. The next day he says the tire on his room mate’s car was destroyed too. That’s when things got creepy. “Third incident, we had play dough dolls, three guys, holding hands, x’s for the eyes, nooses around their necks, like they’re being hanged, left on our doorstep.”
“You drive around and there are rainbow flags on lots of these houses,” Yates said as he looks down the street. “I’m sure people walk around and it’s offensive.”
There’s also an elementary school.
“It’s just horrible.”
Detective Michael Ruff with Salt Lake City Police said the department is aware of each incident.
A car was vandalized as part of a series of slurs, threats and destruction seemingly aimed at roommates in Salt Lake City.
“We do have several reports, our detectives are looking into those right now to see what, if anything, can be done,” Ruff said. Right now, there’s not strong enough evidence to make an arrest. And, without that, there’s not much police can do.
Last month, the landlord installed cameras around the house. But, according to police, those cameras haven’t provided enough evidence and the harassment hasn’t stopped.
Yates has filed a protective order against the neighbor but since that time, he says the woman has spray-painted graffiti on his car and tagged his mailbox with more gay slurs.
But, until there is better evidence to prove who the suspect is, they have to sit and wait.
