No strong leads yet in the Alsea incident

An Oregon Department of Justice investigator will assist the Benton County Sheriff's Office in its probe of a cross that was burned in the front yard of a black Alsea resident on May 9.

"We have a detective assigned to the case now, and then with this investigator, that will help," Sheriff Diana Simpson said. Her office hasn't received any calls in the case, and doesn't have strong leads yet, she said.

It appeared the cross burning was a hate crime, she said, but added, "It's really difficult to determine what we are going to charge until we have completed the investigation."

Simpson said the crime could be charged as first-degree or second-degree intimidation, charges which are based on prejudice toward a person's race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national origin.

On the morning of May 9, Summer MacLean found a 5-foot-long charred cross laying in the grass on her lawn off Fudge Road. Her 13-year-old adopted son, Isaiah Cavanagh, is black.

Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said that if the case proves to be a hate crime, his office would prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law.

"Anytime you have an individual who is burning a cross on another person's property because of their perception of the person's race, color or religion, that is a crime of intimidation," Haroldson said.

"In this particular case, we do not have a suspect, and we really need to draw upon all the resources in the community and have the community come together so we can solve this crime and hold accountable the individual responsible for this egregious act," he added.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.