A woman was arrested Friday night as a suspect in the
placement of threatening messages on at least five doors in a San Leandro
neighborhood, and of other similar messages posted in public places, San
Leandro police said.
Nancy Arechiga, 52, of San Leandro was found late Friday
night in the Heron Bay neighborhood by police called there to investigate the
notes. Police said the handwritten notes contained “various insensitive
messages towards minorities,” and suggested that people not native to
America leave the country immediately. The messages, found affixed to five
front doors, were directed towards women and children as well, police said.
Police said Arechiga was captured on security video at one
of the homes, and was soon found nearby. Police said Arechiga was carrying a backpack
that contained other similar handwritten notes.
Arechiga was booked into the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, but
was soon released given the state’s “no bail” schedule related to the
COVID-19 coronavirus, police said.
San Leandro police investigated a similar incident Thursday
night, when a related note was found on an information board along the Heron
Bay trail. That note read, in part, “no Asians allowed, leave
immediately,” police said. That post was quickly removed by a good
Samaritan and discarded. Police said they believe Arechiga is also responsible
for that posting.
“San Leandro is a community of beautifully diverse
people, who share a common desire to live in harmony, and free from
intimidation,” San Leandro police Lt. Isaac Benabou said in a statement.
“We welcome people’s rights to express themselves, but not in a manner
that infringes upon a community’s sense of security and well being.
Anyone with information on similar incidents is asked to
contact the San Leandro Police Department at (510) 577-2740.
###
