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Police investigate possible hate crime at Magna couple’s home

Posted at 10:13 PM, Jun 10, 2014
and last updated 2014-06-11 09:28:34-04

MAGNA, Utah -- Unified Police are investigating a possible hate crime.

Someone spray painted anti-gay slogans on a fence in Magna. The words are so offensive FOX 13 had to blur them out. The victims say they know who targeted them and think their dog was poisoned too.

It happened in the area of 8000 West and 3240 South.

The couple made the discovery Tuesday morning. Police believe it was an isolated incident and they know who their suspect is.

"I feel sick, literally ill. I feel like I'm going to throw up right now," said Michelle Klun who lives in the Magna home with her partner Judy.

The two woke up to anti-gay slurs and derogatory words, inked in black on their fence.

"I also came home this afternoon to find my dog in the backyard foaming at the mouth, having a hard time breathing," said Klun, who suspects the same person who tagged their home, may have poisoned their pet. "There's been police reports filed with Unified and also with the FBI as a hate crime."

A detective with Unified Police was in the neighborhood talking to the victims and a potential person of interest. Investigators tell FOX 13 a dispute from the past may have sparked the vandalism.

Klun said she knows who did it.

"Earlier last week we had an incident where our dog had bit the neighbor child," she said.

Klun believes that child's uncle is the one who spray painted their fence.

"Her brother came by, he doesn't like us anyway, has a problem with our sexuality, he went ballistic," she said.

Klun said he said the same words that are now stamped for all to see on her property.

"We're all human beings and I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, ignorance is all I can say -- it's ignorance," Klun said.

Klun contacted the FBI about this case, and said an investigator will be talking to them about what happened.

Police aren't sure if it's reached the FBI's radar, but say this could rise to the level of a hate crime because of the words this vandal chose to spray paint on their fence.