Some neighbors told local media they were saddened and unsettled by the appearance of the hateful messages. “You think you are taking steps in the right direction in the last couple of years…in the world,” said resident Andy Zirger, “but this makes you think you took a step back 80 or 100 years.”
Lenice Williams, who identified herself as the mother of two Black boys, said any presence of hatred is unwelcome and unaccepted. “It frustrates me because I decided to move to Riverside for the sense of community, low crime, and then to see something like that is so disheartening,” she said.
Williams added, “There are a lot of people who think racism doesn’t exist or things don’t happen, but [this is] a reminder we have to be alert and aware of what’s going on around us because racism does exist.”
This article has been updated to include a response from the local sheriff’s office.
 recruitment flyers at three primarily Black churches in the area.){kind=link}