Faith Nyasuguta
Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui, an esteemed FGCU professor and community leader, was horrified when he returned to his unfinished Cape Coral home on Tuesday morning to find it had been violated and vandalized. The home, which he had purchased earlier this year with plans to fix and sell, was left in utter chaos. Paint splattered, glass shattered, massive holes in the walls, and doors and windows broken, with derogatory writing on the walls– words too vile to display publicly.
https://youtube.com/shorts/OySK-ykEQEI?si=3yRwUB6M9eauClLe (VIDEO)
“I was traumatized. I was shocked. My god, it was so so scary,” Ndiang’ui said, describing the shocking discovery.
The red paint on the walls, along with the nature of the messages, led him to believe the incident could be a hate crime. He explained, “I didn’t choose the color of my skin. You didn’t choose yours. I didn’t choose my gender. I didn’t choose anything. We are here. We can’t blame God for making us so different, but there’s room for all of us here. More important, there’s room for love for one another.”
Ndiang’ui, who had bought the house after the previous owner left it half-built, was set to complete it and sell it to a family. The extensive damage will cost between $50,000 to $100,000 to repair. “We have to repaint. There’s so much broken, the doors, the windows, the everything,” Ndiang’ui added, surveying the destruction.
The Cape Coral Police Department was called to the scene, where they collected evidence, including shoe prints found in bright red paint scattered throughout the house. The police have not yet identified the suspects, but Ndiang’ui believes the perpetrator was filled with anger. “The guy came hitting. He must have been very angry for what, I don’t know. Every room, every one of them, he went all over. He was on a rampage.”
Despite the hatred reflected in the act, Ndiang’ui’s message to the suspect was filled with compassion. “Don’t do it again. Please get out. If you need help, I can even help you to get to the rehab. Change that mindset. I’m sorry for them that they have that mindset for whatever reason. This does not help you. This does not advance any cause,” Ndiang’ui said.
He continued, “Tell you the truth, I am more sorry for them than I’m sorry for my loss for somebody to have that mindset. I feel sad for them, and I pray that God will change them, will make them see that there is no gain in this kind of destruction.”
Ndiang’ui remained resilient in the face of this adversity, stating that he will overcome the destruction and rebuild better. His determination to restore the property was met with support from the local community.
Following the vandalism, the FGCU community rallied behind their professor. Over 50 people gathered on Saturday to help clean up the home. Ndiang’ui addressed the volunteers, saying, “We must always see moments like this to say we are better than this and we are stronger together.”
The contractor for the home, Haytham Mahmoud, who is also an FGCU professor, discovered the vandalism. He shared his thoughts on the situation, saying, “Whoever did it, they have given us more strength, showed us how good the community is and destruction is just momentary, but rebuilding is all the pleasure.”
The cleanup efforts were joined by FGCU faculty, students, and alumni, including Derek Lura, who helped author a faculty resolution in support of Ndiang’ui. “We want to make sure that it’s being prosecuted and treated with the seriousness that it deserves,” Lura said.
Students also showed their support. “The news article was sent to us through FGCU, and I was just appalled by what it said,” said Olivia Acton, a student at FGCU. Another student, Kelly Dauphinais, added, “I think being here really shows that this is something this community won’t stand for.”
FGCU student Waverley Walthall emphasized the power of love over hate, stating, “I think it’s really important to show up and show out, and love is always gonna win over hate.”
Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore and officers from the Cape Coral Police Department also participated in the cleanup. Officer Mercedes Simonds shared, “When our officers heard about this, they were really disturbed and distraught, and they wanted to figure out a way to help out. Peter is a long-standing friend of the police department, so they were really excited to volunteer today.”
The community’s efforts resulted in no remaining racial slurs on the walls of the home, and Ndiang’ui expressed his appreciation for the help. “All this done, that has saved us a lot of money, that has saved us a lot of headaches, that has saved us time,” he said.
Priscilla Ndiang’ui, Peter’s wife, was moved by the outpouring of support. “I was very emotional to see the work that was going on. 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,” she said.
Peter Ndiang’ui also expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’ve been like crying almost when I get to this house, every time I come in here. Now, I look at it. No more red, no more mess. It’s all gone because the community came together. Thank you so much.”
The suspects remain at large, but surveillance footage shows three to four suspects committing the crime on November 9 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
In the face of adversity, Dr. Peter Ndiang’ui and the Cape Coral community have shown that love and unity can prevail over hate and destruction.
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