OCSD Talks With Kids Accused Of Harassing Ladera Ranch Asian Family, Calls For End To Neighborhood Watch
LADERA RANCH (CBSLA) — A Ladera Ranch Asian family that has been the victim of harassment by local teens has been getting support from neighbors, but the woman who started the community watch group said the Orange County Sheriff's Department has gotten involved in the case and has called for an end to the effort.
According to the department, investigators have been using Ring videos and photos provided by the Si family to identify the children involved in the continuous harassment. The evidence included clips of the children running up to the front door yelling racial slurs and obscenities at all hours of the night.
It's that behavior that initially prompted the watch group to form, giving the Si family some peace of mind.
"We have five peaceful nights," Haijun Si, the homeowner, said at the time. "Nobody knocking on the door. I don't need to keep watching."
And for the past few weeks, neighbors have brought folding chairs and have taken turns sitting in the Si's yard while deputies increased their patrols of the neighborhood.
The efforts worked, according to those who shared updates on a community Facebook page. But the woman who organized the watch group, who was threatened with lawsuits from some of the kids' families, posted on Friday that OCSD wanted the watch group to stop and said that detectives had spoken to numerous families and teens in the area.
"Multiple juveniles came forward and conversation was had with the juvenile and their parent/guardian regarding their behavior," OCSD said in a statement. "They were admonished to stop."
Deputies also said there were other children who had been identified as well who have also been warned to stop.
"The key thing is to educate each other to appreciate our own differences," Don Han, operations manager for Orange County Human Relations, said. "Maybe, at home, parents could talk to their children about how do we welcome people who are different from us, regardless of their race, creed or ethnicity."