By Shelley Smith
ssmith@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Detectives with the Salisbury Police Department are investigating what they say is a gang-based vandalism of a Salisbury home, where red paint was sprayed onto the front and side of the home, and also onto a car behind the home.
Honore Alexander returned to his Scales Street home Tuesday night to find his home and show car spray painted red.
“I got to the stop sign and I always look to the back (of the house), and I saw that ‘Blood,’ and I knew someone vandalized,” he said. “I told my daughter to stay outside while I looked in every room, and nothing was missing or broken.”
On the front of his home was “PIRU,” which is one of the first-named gangs of the Bloods in California. On the right side of his house was “Bloods” and a profanity.
Alexander said his car — a 1994 Geo Tracker with an $8,000 paint job — is driven to car shows across the country. The entire car was misted with red paint, the license plate completely sprayed red and the right side of the car painted with red scribbles.
Also vandalized was the meter box — which had been torn off the side of his house after someone had entered his back porch to turn off the breakers.
L.A. Alexander, sister of Alexander, called the acts “unbelievable.”
“This is fun for us,” she said of the taking cars to shows. “We love cars, we love music, this is what we do.”
Honore Alexander said he doesn’t bother the neighbors, and has had no altercations with anyone.
“I don’t bother anybody, I have custody of my two daughters, and I go to school,” Alexander said. “I’ve been doing this (showing cars) since I was 15 years old in high school. I don’t have a record, and I’ve never been charged with anything.
“It’s just amazing.”
Alexander said that on several occasions he has seen large groups of men in the street and outside a neighbor’s home, with red rags in their right pockets, or giving each other what he says are gang handshakes, and believes there are members of the “Bloods” nearby.
“Everything’s on the right, that’s where they carry their rags,” Alexander said. “They don’t do anything on the left side. The right side of the house and the right side of the car were hit.
“These young guys, they don’t know what I do. I don’t deal drugs. I don’t claim east side or west side. I claim my family. We aren’t a gang. If we are, we’re the Alexander gang.”
About a month ago, he said things began missing from their front porch. But Alexander said he’s never had any major problems with anyone in the neighborhood, and didn’t think too much about it. But now he’s concerned, he said.
“I have two daughters and it can’t continue to be ‘It’s all good,’ ” he said. “I always feel like if you have a problem with somebody, come to them. Come to me. We can work it out.
“Anything can be replaced, but you know, your life can’t.”
Salisbury Police Capt. Shelia Lingle said the police department doesn’t have many problems on Scales Street, but since the incident, police are beefing up patrols in the area.
Alexander said his daughters are scared, and his father sat on the front porch the entire night to make sure nothing happened.
“I’ll have been back in Salisbury seven years in August,” Alexander said. “Salisbury’s changed a lot. It’s not about just having a good time.
“When I was young, we was into girls. These guys aren’t even doing that.”
“These kids really need something to do,” L.A. Alexander said. “It’s about being an active parent. Your kid needs supervision, they need guidance.”
Honore Alexander said he feels “violated.”
“It’s a blow to us all, you know,” he said.
He said he hopes his misfortune sheds light on the gang problem in Salisbury
“We don’t bother nobody, and we don’t want nobody bothering us,” he said. “Salisbury’s been talking about this (gangs) for years. But when it hits home, it gets real, and it gets really serious.”
Lingle said police are following up on leads “that may lead to an arrest.”
Anyone who sees suspicious activity, or who may have information on the vandalism of Alexander’s home and car should contact the Salisbury Police Department, 704-638-5333.