Police: Feces smeared on vehicles, homes in Middletown may be tied to Pride flags

Police in Middletown are investigating to determine if a number of recent vandalism cases in which feces were found smeared on several homes and vehicles could be related to the fact each resident displayed a Pride flag.

“The Middletown police began evaluating the similarities between the above cases and found that each victim’s residence had a Pride flag prominently displayed on the property,” Middletown police Chief Erik Costa said in a statement.

Since Tuesday, the Middletown Police Department received a total of five vandalism complaints on three consecutive days, with the first being reported at a home on Prospect Street where the resident said their family vehicles had been covered in food, according to Middletown police. No damage was reported to the vehicles.

The Prospect Street resident told police of a previous incident in March, when he found that the door handles to one of his vehicles had feces smeared on them, police said.

Middletown police on Tuesday also responded to a home on Liberty Street where the resident found feces smeared on a side door to their home, according to police.

Then on Wednesday, a Grove Street resident found feces smeared on the back window of a vehicle, though in this case police said it was smeared in a way to write a racial slur.

This was followed by a High Street resident on Thursday reporting that feces had been smeared on their vehicle and on the front door to their home, police said. The resident in this case cleaned up the mess before officers arrived.

Shortly after the High Street call came in, Middletown police said a Liberty Street resident reported also finding feces on their front porch window. The resident in this case also reported cleaning things up before officers arrived.

Police said none of the complainants were able to identify any potential suspects.

“While no Pride flags were damaged or vandalized during these incidents, the department is investigating whether the vandalism has any connection to Pride flags on the property,” Costa said.

Middletown police are investigating and asking anyone with information to contact Det. M. Small of the Major Investigations Unit at 860-638-4152.

Police also encouraged residents to report any “suspicious activity,” as the vandalism incidents appear to have occurred in the overnight hours.