The notes, Martin said, were filled with intimidating messages and a slur against the Black community.
The discovery of the notes immediately prompted an investigation, with the school offering a $1,200 reward to anyone who could provide leads and valid information to the authorities regarding the incident.
“Those who promote hate, discrimination and disrespect are not welcomed at this institution. We are tired of bigoted members of our community marring the experiences of students of color,” Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young said.
The final police report on the case, however, said that Martin might have staged the entire scenario.
A report released to KBTX said surveillance footage from a nearby pool camera showed that Martin, after parking his car at his apartment complex on George Bush Drive, walked into a nearby residential building and only went back to his car after an estimated 90 minutes.
As detailed in the report, Martin, upon his return, was seen toward the front of his vehicle with what looked to be “white specks” near his chest area. Martin, according to the police, spent a total of 75 seconds in front of his car, presumably to take photos and videos, before getting in his car and driving away. (Related: Democrats TERRORIZE themselves with endless parade of fake hate crime hoaxes and made-up fake news.)
In their report, campus police maintained that while footage from the same pool camera showed several people walking near Martin’s vehicle, the individuals were only near the car for a few seconds each.
“No other person had enough time to place the messages on Martin’s car other than himself,” the report concluded, adding that the District and County Attorney’s Office, upon reviewing the initial findings, determined that no crime was committed as the notes found on Martin’s car did not contain a threat and that the incident “fell under the 1st Amendment free speech protections.”
Martin, in response to the police, said he is “utterly disappointed” and that there are several things that the police allegedly failed to include in their report.
“I have no idea who it could have been and I stopped communicating with the cops. I wish they found who did this so they could be held accountable,” he added.
Are campus hate crime hoaxes on the rise?
This is not the first hate crime hoax to be committed on a university campus, with a similar incident reported to have happened at the University of La Verne in California.
Last year, Anayeli Dominguez Pena, a former student at the university, was behind a series of at least 10 reported threats against members of a student group, one of which – the discovery of a “backpack emitting smoke” inside an unlocked vehicle in a dormitory parking lot – resulted in the cancellation of classes, according to a report by CBS Los Angeles.
An investigation by the La Verne Police Department, however, revealed Pena created fake messages and email accounts last spring and used them to fake threats against herself and several campus activists who, according to authorities, were unaware of the scheme.
“Every single one in this photo will get what is coming to them,” one of the messages – sent via Instagram direct messages – said, accompanied by a black-and-white group photo campus activists and other students of color who were well-known for organizing anti-racism protests on campus.
The police, in a statement, added that Pena, after reporting the threats to the authorities, applied for victim compensation from the California Victim Compensation Board.
According to the police, Pena now faces one felony count each of criminal threats and perjury by declaration as well as six misdemeanor counts of false report of a criminal offense and one misdemeanor count of internet/electronic impersonation.
Pena has entered a “not guilty” plea. Her bail, authorities said, was set at $136,000.
If convicted on all charges, Pena, according to the police, could face up to eight years in state prison.
In response to the development of the case, University of La Verne President Deborah Lieberman said they will take steps to improve inclusivity and diversity in the university within the upcoming months by implementing discussion with both staff and faculty.
Lieberman, in a statement, noted that Pena’s actions threaten to undermine the work that the university and its community is doing to address the issues of race and social justice.
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