A WOMAN who felt unsafe in her own home has claimed that she was ignored when she called 911 for help - so she took matters into her own hands.
Jennifer McLeggan moved from Queens to Long Island, New York to raise her daughter in a home with a backyard.
2
2
But she wound up dealing with neighbors who were eventually arrested and charged with harassing her.
John McEneaney faced criminal mischief and first-degree harassment charges, while Mindy Canarick was charged with third-degree criminal tampering, according to CBS News.
The case garnered national attention in July 2020.
"It's hard to pay rent in New York City and come up with a down payment," McLeggan told NBC News at the time.
READ MORE ON NEW YORK
"It's not easy. I had a lot of Top Ramen nights."
So when she had saved enough to purchase a home in Valley Stream, where the population is about 28% Black, McLeggan was looking forward to raising her daughter in a diverse suburb.
But McLeggan's dream soon took a turn.
She was allegedly harassed by the neighbors, who, she claimed, threw feces and dead squirrels into her yard.
Most read in The US Sun
One neighbor even allegedly told McLeggan she could be "erased."
McLeggan also claimed that she was intimidated by BB guns, which was later confirmed during the investigation.
McLeggan called Nassau County police, but she claimed her complaints were not taken seriously.
That's when she decided to take matters into her own hands by handwriting a sign that explained all of the allegations against her neighbors.
McLeggan gained national attention for hanging the sign, including that of civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump, who wound up representing the woman.
"This type of behavior happened in the 50s and 60s to force Black families away from 'white neighborhoods.' It should NOT still happen in 2020… Nassau County PD says they're investigating, but Ms. McLeggan needs an arrest made ASAP!" Crump tweeted on July 14, 2020.
Many others rallied around McLeggan to offer their support.
Some took turns standing guard outside her home, while others created a GoFundMe which raised over $50,000 for the mother.
A protest was also held within McLeggan's neighborhood and started the hashtag #StandWithJennifer.
"We take these allegations seriously, and Nassau County Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement at the time, per NBC News.
A month after she plastered the sign to her front door, McLeggan's two white neighbors, McEneaney and Canarick, were charged.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the charges after leading an investigation into the allegations.
"This conduct crossed the line between being a bad neighbor and into the realm of criminality," Singas said at the time.
"I was heartbroken when I saw the sign on Ms. McLeggan's door. Nassau County is a very safe place to live, and no one should feel threatened in their own home."
Among other things, the investigation found that McEneaney had repeatedly shot a pellet run in a "dangerous way" across McLeggan's lawn between April 2017 and July 2020, according to the district attorney's office.
This was done "allegedly as a form of harassment to annoy or alarm her," the district attorney's office said. At least four pellets were discovered on McLeggan's lawn.
Read More on The US Sun
In March 2021, Canarick was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge following the completion of a diversity and inclusion program, according to Newsday.
McEneaney pled guilty to the criminal mischief charge. He was sentenced to three years probation in 2022 and was also required to complete an anti-racism class online, according to Newsday.
