Canton police investigate after bleach-filled balloons damage Karen Read supporters’ lawns – NBC Boston

Police in Canton, Massachusetts, say they are investigating after lawns were damaged by balloons filled with bleach.

Three people, all supporters of Karen Read, had their property damaged. Two of the victims reported the incident to the police.

“You see there are splashes,” said Rita Lombardi, pointing to her garden.

It started as a small brownish section.

“Then I noticed a balloon, a water balloon, that hadn’t popped,” Lombardi said.

For Lombardi, all of this was completely incomprehensible until she spoke to her neighbor around the corner.

“Their beautiful flowers and vegetables were sprinkled with bleach,” she said.

Over the course of a week, Lombardi noticed broken balloons in her yard next to the brown grass. She called Canton police.

Brenda Sweeney also called the police. Although she didn’t find any balloons, she did find the smell of bleach and a destroyed garden.

“Normally the whole fence is full of flowers in the front and vegetables in the back, but we noticed some parts were dying,” Sweeney said.

It’s no secret that Lombardi and Sweeney, along with Jenn O’Donnell, speak their minds at Canton Select Board meetings.

“We’re looking for truth and accountability, and a lot of that came to light in the John O’Keefe murder case,” Lombardi said. “We’ve had some problems in this city.”

Sweeney describes the incident as extremely disappointing. Her husband works for hours in his garden.

“Little kids come here, touch these figures and they throw bleach at them,” Sweeney said.

Karen Read’s defense continues to push for the dismissal of two charges after her attorneys said the jury presented new information to support its verdict.

On Friday, we learned that some popped bleach balloons were also thrown into O’Donnell’s yard.

And a bag of unpopped balloons was found on Lombardi Street.

“These people get stuck in middle school,” Lombardi said.

“Any type of action in this community or any other community that causes others to fear for their safety and/or diminishes their quality of life is unacceptable,” Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty said in a statement.

Rafferty said the evidence would be taken to the Plymouth County Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“These people are becoming more and more confused, and if nobody intervenes, someone will get hurt,” Lombardi said.

Residents say they fear what might happen outside the courthouse on Tuesday, when Read and her lawyers are due to appear in court for the first time since the mistrial was declared.