SWASTIKA ON MCKINLEYVILLE GARAGE HAS NEIGHBORS OUTRAGED: News Channel 3 Investigates

A sign of intolerance: a swastika painted on a garage in one McKinleyville neighborhood has neighbors taking action. News channel 3 is investigating the property and its laundry-list of problems.
"Its a swastika, in the middle of a neighborhood- you just cant have that you cant do it,” said Kent Pettlon Tuesday. He has been taking care of the home and neighboring structures on Forson Street for almost 30 years, "My grandfather built almost every place on this street," he added.
 
He says the McKinleyville neighborhood has been quiet, but on Sunday pictures of painted Swastikas at 1120 Forson were snapped, and forwarded to News Channel 3.
 
 "And we've had the phone ringing off the hook at least 12 people called us up," Pettlon said. After complaints from his tenants, Pettlon took action this morning; he painted over the symbols himself.
 
"We’ve called police, we've tried to deal with it ourselves,” But he says the recent paint job is just one of the problems, "There's a lot of conflict with this house, we actually have had a lot of people move specifically because of complaints. We've called county health and code enforcement."
 
Pettlon says power at the residence has been shut off for three months. The director of environmental health confirmed with News Channel 3 today that they've been called to the property four times since July for complaints about the garbage, they've already issued one official notice. The department says they plan to cite the tenants again at the end of this month.
 
Pettlon says the house is about to be bank repossessed. When News Channel Three’s Kelly May went knocking to let the tenants talk about the problems and the swastikas, she received no answer.
 
"I hope somebody picks up and fixes it because it’s really not in a bad spot but it definitely is right in the middle of this neighborhood and its a quiet neighborhood and everyone is freaked out," Pettlon concluded.
 
The owner of the property could not be reached for comment today, but Pettlon did tell News Channel 3 the water has been shut off multiple times, and that he has called code enforcement for the multiple trailer's he has noticed people living in behind the house.