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Raccoon found hanged at church

The Citrus Sheriff's Office considers the animal and the racist note it came with a hate crime.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published January 25, 2006

FLORAL CITY - A dead raccoon was found hanging from a noose, along with a racist note, on the porch of a Floral City church, authorities said.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office considered the incident a hate crime, spokeswoman Gail Tierney said.

"With the hangman's noose, it was kind of hard not to label it a hate crime," she said.

The animal was discovered at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Mount Carmel Methodist Church, Tierney said. The church, which has a largely black congregation, is at 8004 S Florida Ave., just south of the stoplight in Floral City.

It appeared the raccoon had been there for several days, Tierney said. Investigators declined to release the contents of the note, but Tierney said it was a racist message.

Floral City is an area of historic homes, a usually quiet part of Citrus County where the streets are lined with moss-draped trees. In 2000, it had a population of 4,989, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Several people gathered inside the church Tuesday evening. A representative of the congregation said the church had no comment.

Tierney said anyone with information should call the Sheriff's Office at (352) 726-4488 or the anonymous tip line toll-free at 1-888-269-8477.

[Last modified January 25, 2006, 00:54:10]