Community rallies around Mexican grocery store after hateful message left there

PITTSBURGH — A hateful message written on the side of a Mexican grocery store here has been replaced instead with a message of love and community support only three days after the incident.

Members of the community showed up in large numbers to show their support for the Las Palmas grocery store. It was only three days ago when an unknown vandal wrote “Go back to Mexico now” on the side of the business.

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Gebriel Berumen, the owner of the store, told Channel 11 he greatly appreciates the show of support from the community. The hateful message only brought the community closer, he said.

“I know they love me and they love us and we are here for everybody,” he said.

Sister Janice Vanderneck, a supporter of Las Palmas, also attended the rally and said “anyone living here, working here and being a contributor…is welcome here.”

“That ugly thing that happened in the dark, we are bringing the total opposite to the light,” she said. “We are glad you are here and we want you here. You are a great contributor to our city and county.”

Investigators are still searching for the person responsible for writing the hateful message.

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WPXI