By admin 
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help as it investigates the distribution of antisemitic flyers near Coto de Caza over the past month.
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The flyers depict a swastika and have been found in multiple locations in the community.
“They were posted on a utility pole. There was a posting in a kind of public area where the community area is,” said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who represents the area. “And then, some people saw it on the ground near their home,”
Foley said her office began receiving complaints after residents reported seeing the flyers. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department also received reports and launched an investigation after becoming aware of the flyers within the past month in the county’s east unincorporated areas.
“There’s kind of a line where you cross where the free speech starts to impact people’s feelings about safety and that starts to incite violence,” Foley said. “And so when you cross that line, it becomes a hate incident.”
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s department posted on social media seeking additional information. Since then, officials said they have received more calls reporting additional flyers.
For Rabbi Zalman Marcus of the Chabad Jewish Center of Mission Viejo, the investigation carries particular significance.
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“My initial reaction was like, ‘we don’t need this again,'” Marcus said.
Marcus said similar incidents have occurred periodically over the years and expressed confidence in the local community’s response.
“We’ve had incidents sporadically throughout the years, and it’s always people from outside the community just trying to create some agitation,” Marcus said. “And, I believe that the community is strong, the community is good, and hopefully all the people who hear about this, Jewish or non-Jewish, come together and say no hate.”
As investigators work to identify the person or people responsible for distributing the flyers, Marcus said community support has outweighed the hateful message.
“When darkness raises its ugly head, it just means light just needs to shine brighter and there’s a lot of light, a lot of beauty, a lot of love,” he said.
The sheriff’s department is urging anyone who encounters one of the flyers not to touch it. Instead, officials ask residents to report it immediately so investigators can preserve any potential evidence. You can reach the non-emergency line at 949-770-6011.
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