Sandy couple in fear after being targeted by vandals

SANDY, Utah — A Sandy couple is in disbelief that someone would throw a homemade explosive at their home, and it’s not the first time they’ve been targeted.

“To endanger someone’s family or life over what ends up being a message, a passive message, is quite extreme.”

Robert Smith said his family has been harassed for months because of the messages displayed on his property. He currently has a Pride flag displayed on his flagpole, but over the summer, he flew a Rastafarian flag.

“They’re very visual. They communicate a lot,” Smith said. “A picture sends 1,000 words, and they contain a lot of symbols and symbolism that are very power.”

At approximately 3:45 a.m. Saturday, Smith’s security cameras caught someone throwing a homemade explosive out of a car towards his house.

“They banded four little M80 types, they taped four of them together,” he said. “Based on the trajectory, I’m not sure if they were aiming for the flagpole or if they were trying to get it underneath the car.”

Smith said this latest attack comes after a summer of harassment and multiple incidents caught on camera of someone poisoning his brushes.

“It’s happening in the middle of the night, in the cover of dark, which I consider to be an indicator that they don’t believe what they’re doing is the right thing.”

Smith doesn’t know who is behind the attacks, but he worries they’re becoming more violent.

“The possibility of the car exploding and catching on fire, and the house catching on fire, it’s a real danger to my family.”

Smith said he’ll continue to report the vandalism to Sandy police, who say they will work more closely with Smith to try and find whoever is responsible.

In the meantime, Smith said he’ll continue to fly his flags, because to him, they represent love and inclusion.

“We’re all humans. We all have a story, and our stories are different, and that’s something we can all learn from each other.”