SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A hate crime in Shepherdsville: that's the word from police following a vandalism so disturbing that the victim is telling people he's going back to his home country.
The view from the front of Jacob's Smoke Shop on Hwy. 44E near South Buckman Street in Shepherdsville tells a shameful story of hate driven by race: destruction so shocking many neighbors are in disbelief.
Police say a customer found the store in shambles around 11 p.m. Sunday. The message, "Hate Arab" was spray painted on the floor, and the words, "Go Home" stained the walls.
Kim Goldsmith works two doors down from Jacob's Smoke Shop.
"You don't even realize that that still happens today," Goldsmith says. "It was devastating. Just to see it was devastating."
She says the owner, Ali Alboodi, just moved from Iraq nine months ago and opened the smoke shop in December.
With the paint and the footprints still fresh on the ground, Shepherdsville Police tell me they are making this case a top priority. They don't want it to paint Shepherdsville in a bad light.
"For our purposes this appears to be isolated," said Shepherdsville Police Sgt. Troy Armstrong. "It's the first that we've ... heard of this type of harassment to anyone with a biased motive to it."
There are some leads.
The owner reportedly had a run-in with teens earlier this month that ended with the kids shouting: "Go back to your country."
While reviewing the pictures, investigators told us this is more than vandalism.
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"Once you get into the hate crime, there are federal things to look into," Armstrong said.
We reached Zainab Aledany, who co-owns the business, by phone.
"He's just very disappointed," Aledany said. "He said he wants to go home and he's not going to stay in the United States."
It is intolerance made even worse by the fact that the vandals may get their wish.
Police say whoever is responsible for the crime left behind plenty of merchandise but made sure to leave with at least one thing: the surveillance video.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Shepherdsville Police.
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