Police investigating possible hate crime in..

Crime • Profane words were painted on the property where two women live and their dog may have been poisoned.

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Two women awoke Tuesday morning in Magna to find their dog ill and anti-gay and misogynistic slurs painted on their fence in what police say is a "possible hate crime."

The couple found the letters "bichs" along with two other profane words painted on the fence early Tuesday, said Unified Police Detective Ken Hansen. Their dog was lying on its side and foaming at the mouth.

A neighbor was being investigated as a person of interest, Hansen said. The women say he used the same three slurs against the women last week when their dog allegedly bit a young girl who is related to him.

The vandalism may amount to a hate crime, Hansen said, but investigators have not confirmed that the dog was sickened deliberately. The dog has recovered, and police cannot confirm the couple's suspicion that the dog was poisoned, Hansen said.

Police investigating possible hate crime in Magna