Vandals attack family's dream home

Jonathan Menard

The Lorios were all set to move into their brand new home, but discovered that it had been vandalized the night before the big move. Not only were the windows, columns and garage all spray-painted on, but the family’s driveway was also vandalized. A porti

A Hahnville family’s dream home was vandalized on July 31, the night before the husband, wife and young child were set to move in.

Kenneth Lorio, who works as an inspector for the parish’s Planning and Zoning Department, was heading to work on Aug. 1 when he glanced next door and saw red spray paint adorning his newly-constructed home on Gum Street.

“They just spray-painted all over my house and driveway,” Lorio said. “They wrote ‘187’ on the columns in front of my home and spray painted ‘187 bi***’ on my garage. ‘Blood land ni***’ was also spray-painted on my driveway."

187 is a numeric code for the crime of murder.

The night before, Lorio and his wife, Yolanda, had been at their new home until 10:40 p.m. making sure everything was ready for the big move. They then walked next door to their current home and settled into bed. After waking up the next morning and discovering the graffiti, Lorio said a neighbor came by and told him that he thought he knew who was responsible.

“He told me that his nephew was hanging around with these kids from Oklahoma that day and they were talking about how they vandalize homes like this when they are back home,” Lorio said.

Lorio says he then called the Sheriff’s Office to report the crime.

“I am just very angry and hurt,” Lorio said. “When my wife saw it, she just started crying. Why did they have to pick my house?”

Lorio has contacted his insurance company and says that he will have to handle the cleanup himself.

“This is a nice, quiet community,” Lorio said. “We have never had any kind of activity like this in the past.”