Norwood Man Harassed Neighbors For Months With Racial Slurs: PD

NORWOOD, MA — A Norwood man is facing several civil rights charges after he used racial slurs toward his neighbor and her young son, cut their cable and WiFi cables and their washing machine hose, according to police.

Stephan Scarcella, 53, was charged on Thursday, with malicious damage of personal property, and damaging personal property for the purpose of intimidating a person because of that person's race.

Scarcella's neighbor, a black woman and her young son, told police he had been harassing her for months, calling her and her son egregious racial slurs. On Wednesday, the woman reported to police that someone had cut the hoses to her washing machine as well as the wires to the machine and the wires to her WiFi, following harassment from Scacella.

Scarcella was taken into custody on Thursday and officers obtained a warrant to search his apartment. Officers found shears police believe were used to cut the hoses and wires, as well as the knobs he had removed from the victim's washing machine.

Norwood police officials said they could not talk about Scarcella's history with police. The woman told police that a similar incident with cut wires happened in October, but police couldn't prove it was Scarcella. She told police the harassment had been ongoing. Her wires were the only ones cut in the building.

Police said Scarcella was not cooperative during their interview with him. Scarcella was held overnight on bail and is expected to be arraigned at Dedham District Court Friday.