Whittier Residents Shocked To Find KKK Fliers Scattered On Lawns

WHITTIER (CBSLA.com) — Residents in Whittier woke up Sunday morning to find Ku Klux Klan propaganda strewn across their lawns, officials report.

Police were first notified at 6:25 a.m. by a homeowner in the 5400 block of Adele Avenue, Whittier police Sgt. Aaron Ruiz said.

Ruiz wouldn't say what the message was, only that "there were no threats on the fliers, just KKK propaganda."

They were left inside plastic bags weighed down by Tootsie Roll candy and small rocks.

Last week, similar KKK-affiliated fliers - also baited with candy - were scattered around several streets in Fullerton.

CBS2's Joy Benedict spoke to shocked residents.

To some neighbors, from a distance the plastic bags looked like trash strewn on the lawn.

"Resident said the real trash was inside the plastic bags," Benedict reported.

One resident said, "I've always thought times have changed, but unfortunately they're not."

At first Kristin Melendez was worried that she was targeted by the group.

"This morning I grabbed my son and cried and held him because it bothered me that people feel that way about him," she said.

Authorities told Benedict that not only was Melendez not targeted, the fliers were tossed on lawns for almost six blocks.

Benedict couldn't find any residents who read all the information or any who didn't have a place in mind for where the flier should end up.

"My father said throw it away," said Dustin Castro, "it's trash. It's true, it's just trash."

The Whittier Police Department says since the fliers didn't mention a specific threat no crime was committed.