SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Brittany Fuller, the owner of a rainbow-colored pride fence in Scripps Ranch, expressed dismay after learning about a possible motive behind a series of vandalism incidents targeting her property.
We first met Fuller in 2022, who leads the Scripps Ranch Pride Council, when her newly installed fence was spray-painted and hit with paint. Since then, the fence has been repeatedly hit, with incidents involving mustard, eggs, and feces, alongside Pride flags that were ripped out and bent along a nearby street.
As of now, nearly 20 incidents of vandalism have been reported. Police have previously categorized these acts as possible hate crimes.
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A possible breakthrough came on Saturday when Fuller and her partner heard a loud bang while hanging out in their backyard. A review of their surveillance video sent them scrambling into their neighborhood, where they caught up with two youths on e-Bikes, seen on video tossing apples and other fruits at the fence. One of the apples struck a board and damaged it.
“I got lucky. They were already stopped at a crosswalk,” Fuller recounted.
Following the encounter, police detained and questioned the two teens. Before police arrived, Fuller says she asked them why they vandalized the fence, and their response was “absolutely soul-shattering.”
“The kids told me that within the middle school, there are groups of kids that actively and openly hate LGBT kids. They go as far as to pay people to deface the Pride fence,” said Fuller.
Fuller says the teens claimed they were paid $20 to vandalize the fence. A source confirmed that is the story they told the police.
“When I heard that, I couldn’t breathe. I felt sucker-punched,” said Fuller.
Fuller says the two were not arrested, and released to their parents. We’re told investigators will be looking into the claims of the teens and whether there’s any link to the prior vandalism.
“Just the idea of a child accepting more to hate is awful. I can’t understand how we are here and how this is happening,” said Fuller.
ABC 10News isn’t identifying the middle school as the teen’s claims haven’t been substantiated. We did reach out to San Diego Unified. A spokesperson says they haven’t been informed by police about the case.
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