On the morning of Monday, Sept. 4, Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office started receiving calls from concerned citizens who found packets of antisemitic literature …
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Already have an account? Log in to continue. Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
Please log in to continue |
OKEECHOBEE -- On the morning of Monday, Sept. 4, Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office started receiving calls from concerned citizens who had packets of antisemitic literature found in their yards.
Presumably, the packs were distributed sometime on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 3, or in the early morning of Monday, Sept. 4, while people slept.
Patrol units found more than 100 of these packets that had been thrown into people's yards.
Inside the package are several papers of antisemitic rhetoric and a hard substance in the form of pellets.
If you find a packet, it is suggested that you use a plastic bag or gloves to pick it up and throw it away. Please do not attempt to open it. Discard it immediately.
If you have any information or saw anything suspicious that might lead you to believe you saw those responsible, don’t hesitate to contact the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office at 863-763-3117.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, similar packets were found in Emerald Forest, Sugar Pond Manor and Pinewood Manor developments in Wellington. Anyone who has information about those responsible is encouraged to call the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at 1(800) 458-TIPS.
Similar packets of hate-filled messages were also reportedly found in Orange and Brevard counties.
A 2022 report from the Anti-Defamation League "Hate in the Sunshine State: Extremeism & Antisemitism in Florida 2020-2022," hate crimes are on the rise in Florida.
The report includes a skinhead group that reportedly operates in Okeechobee County.
