FGCU community rallies to clean vandalized home after hate crime

A Cape Coral home was destroyed with racist and hateful slurs splattered across the walls. The FGCU community rallied together to restore the house to its original state on Saturday.

• RELATED: Cape Coral home vandalized; homeowner calls it a “hate crime”

On Wednesday, the home had gray and red paint splattered everywhere. Glass was shattered all over the floors. Windows and doors were broken and in pieces.

This group sent a strong message Saturday: “Say no to hate.”

Cars lined the streets as over 50 people gathered at the home of FGCU professor Dr. Peter Ndiangui in Cape Coral.

“We must always see moments like this to say we are better than this and we are stronger together,” said Peter Ndiangui.

Ndiangui and his wife Priscilla are the victims of a hate crime.

They returned to their investment home that was under construction to find racial slurs painted on the walls.

Haytham Mahmoud is a contractor for the home. He said he would not let the hate crime stop them from rebuilding it.

“It was hard on us after a few months of working almost day and night on it,” said Mahmoud. “But this will not stop us. We will make it better. We will rebuild and we will make it better.”

After WINK News reported on the vandalism on Wednesday, the community rallied behind the couple and vowed to clean it up.

Derek Lura is an FGCU professor. He said that he is happy the community came together during this difficult time.

“It’s nice to come out and see all of our colleagues, and to be together in a time of crisis and to just spend some time together,” said Lura.

Current and former FGCU students said that they hated that their favorite professor was a victim of a hate crime.

“The news article was sent to us through FGCU, and I was just appalled by what it said,” said FGCU student Olivia Acton.

“I think being here really shows that this is something this community won’t stand for,” said Kelly Dauphinais, a student of Ndiangui.

I think it’s really important to show up and show out. And love is always gonna win over hate,” said FGCU student Waverly Walthall.

Rather than just hating the person who did this, we’re deciding to come out here and clean up the mess that they made,” Nick Maas, another student of Ndiangui.

The Cape Coral Police Department was also present for the cleanup.

Mercedes Simonds is the Cape Coral Police Department Public Affairs Officer. She said that the officers wanted to be there for the community.

“When our officers heard about this, they were really disturbed and distraught, and they wanted to figure out a way to help out,” said Simonds. “Peter is a long-standing friend of the police department, so they were really excited to volunteer today, to come on board and help everybody else that’s here, just to jump in and get things cleaned up for Peter”.

There are no more racial slurs on the walls, and now dozens said they are determined to change the narrative. Something filled with so much hate will now be remembered with so much love.

“All this done that has saved us a lot of money, that has saved us a lot of headache, that has saved us time,” said Peter Ndiangui.

“I was very emotional to see the work that was going on,” said Priscilla Ndiangu. “Everybody was very busy helping out, and the turnout was excellent, and the outcome is so awesome. You don’t see any more paint on the floors.”

“I’ve been crying when I get to this house every time I come in here,” said Peter Ndiangui. “No more red, no more mess. It’s all gone because the community came together. Thank you so much.”

The people responsible have not been caught yet, but surveillance video shows there are three to four suspects.

They committed the crime on Nov. 9, between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in broad daylight.