Neighborly Feud In Sacramento Results In Woman's Arrest
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- This feud has been going between neighbors for years, and the most recent problem all stems from what one of those neighbors hung in a tree.
There's no love lost between South Sacramento next-door neighbors Linda Blackwell and Phil Decker.
"I do feel threatened," Blackwell told CBS13.
"Testy would be the best way to describe it I guess," Decker said.
But Linda believes her neighbor is racist against her, so she wanted to send a message. She posted a controversial sign on her tree with the words: "What do i need to do to keep you from calling me (n-word)?"
"It had a picture of a black man with a noose around his neck," Blackwell said. "I put it on the tree."
Then she moved it to her fence, with one goal.
"I wanted him to know that I don't appreciate him calling me (n-word) over and over again," she said.
But Phil claims he's never called her that.
"No, I've never called anyone the n-word," he said. "I find that a very offensive term."
Phil said he'd had enough and called police. Linda was arrested. She just bailed out Tuesday night.
"I don't feel I should have been arrested at all," she said.
Phil got a restraining order against Linda after fearing for his own safety.
"She threatened to burn our house down, she spit on my wife, she throws pears in our backyard," he said.
It states Linda must stay at least 5 yards away from Phil's property, and the tree is only a few feet.
Sacramento police say the sign and the way it was placed violated the restraining order.
"It seemed like she just wanted to intimidate me," Phil said.
But Linda says she didn't violate any order -- that it's her property and her First Amendment rights.
"No, I did not because I didn't say anything to them," she said. "I put a sign up telling him to stop calling me that name."
Now the feud goes to court. But it will end up back on this cul-du-sac where neighbors will have to find a way to coexist.
Linda has another court date this week. Still, it's unlikely that this feud will be resolved by a judge.
