Calabasas resident agrees to remove hate signs




DISTURBING—The bright red and yellow messages hang from the balcony of a Park Sorrento home in Calabasas.     Courtesy photo

A condominium on Park Sorrento in Calabasas drew the ire of passersby this earlier this week who spotted signage with a swastika and the words “Jewish” and “death to America” hanging from the home’s balcony. Wednesday, city officials told the resident to remove the hate messages. By Fri., Jan. 17, the resident had complied, the city said.

“It violates city code covering inflammatory language and threats to others,” the city said in a social media post.

Deputies with the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station responded to calls complaining about the unit in the 23000 block of Park Sorrento around noon on Tues., Jan. 14.

Sgt. Nicole Davis said deputies initially were unable to make contact with the resident and that the flyers were being treated as a hate incident.

“There (was) no victim because he’s not threatening someone,” Davis said. “The detective’s bureau is looking into it to see if there’s other underlying issues, see if there’s a victim.”

The signs fall under protected speech guaranteed under the First Amendment, she said.

But the city stepped in and told the resident to remove the signage within 24 hours.

“This type of material and language has no place in our community,” Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub said.

She told The Acorn, “It’s upsetting to the residents who live there and have to deal with the situation, and to the community at large.”

This article was updated on Jan. 18.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  –Ian Bradley

BROAD DAYLIGHT–The condo balcony as scene from Park Sorrento.            Courtesy City of Calabasas