National
Black Family Fears Fire Set at Manhattan Beach Home Was a Hate Crime
(Clinton family photo)
Larry Altman, DAILY BREEZE
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (Daily Breeze)—A black Manhattan Beach couple said Thursday they believe their race might be the reason someone set fire to their front door, forcing their family to run to safety in the middle of the night.
Ronald and Malissia Clinton said they cannot fathom any other reason why someone would pour gasoline on their porch and set fire to what might have been a tire.
“I just know there is no other reason to target us,” Ronald Clinton said. “We have no enemies. Why us?”
Clinton said he awakened about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday to “a loud boom” at his house in the 700 block of 11th Street. At first he suspected a pipe had burst, but realized the crackling sound he heard was fire outside his front door.
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