Police in Stanly County are investigating an arson and possible hate crime after a woman's car was set on fire and "KKK" was spray-painted on the side of her home.
The victim said she and her family are very concerned about their safety after receiving multiple threats from the community. They believe this is in retaliation for a murder they did not commit.
"People have this much hate in their heart, they could do something like this," a family member said. "This community is usually a tight-knit community. So for something like this to happen, it makes you sad and makes you upset at the same time."
She said she believes the crime is linked to the murder of 19-year-old Taylor Liles.
Deputies said Liles' boyfriend LeQuinton Melton badly beat her last weekend, then took her to the hospital, where she later died.
Melton's family members said they were heartbroken. But since this weekend, they said they have gotten constant threats, some of them racial.