San Clemente Family Endures Hate Crimes : Racism: Husband attributes nine years of vandalism, threats and remarks to bigotry over his wife’s ethnicity. He vows to stay put.

After enduring nine years of vandalism and racist remarks, a family of four will no longer stay quiet. But they will stay put.

The family’s front door has been damaged, the home’s electricity cut off, the garage door spray-painted with obscenities and their home’s windows and cars have been egged several times. They also have received many threatening telephone calls.

Arnold McMahon awoke Tuesday morning to find another incident. His daughter’s new Geo Storm had been pelted with eggs.

“This was not random vandalism,” McMahon said. “I looked throughout the neighborhood to see if any other cars had been pelted with eggs and there weren’t any.”

McMahon has reported the incidents to the police, but no arrests have been made.

“There have been more than a dozen incidents that we have reported to the police,” McMahon, 53, said from his home.

He believes his family is being targeted because his wife is Malaysian.

“Once my two kids were confronted by one of the neighbors who asked in a derogatory way if they spoke English,” said McMahon, who teaches philosophy at Saddleback College.

Several neighbors on Avenida del Verdor said they have seen the damage inflicted on the McMahon family.

Willow Dean Vance, a neighbor, said she is tired of the abuse the family has been forced to tolerate.

“There are biased, prejudiced people who live here who want to control who lives here,” Vance said. “They only want people they want to live here.”

Another neighbor, who requested anonymity, said he, too, has seen the vandalism and that it made him sick.

“Somehow, despite all the wealth some of these people have who live here, they have rocks in their head,” said the man.

San Clemente police officials said they are aware of the problem and they have sent investigators to the hillside home.

Sgt. Richard Downing said they have been successful in catching vandals, but have yet to catch someone committing hate vandalism.

“There aren’t that many hate crimes in this area, so there have not been any arrests,” Downing said. “We do take hate crimes very serious in this neighborhood.”

Despite the temptation to leave--and the spray-painting encouraging the family to move from the neighborhood--McMahon said he loves the view of the ocean and refuses to be forced out of his home.

“A couple of years ago the vandalism stopped. But now it seems someone else wants to keep up their noble tradition,” said McMahon, who was born in England.

“You have to stand up and not let them get away with this type of thing,” he said.

And he said his family will stay. Period.

“This is my home and like any other American, I’m entitled to live in peace and tranquillity,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to defend myself and my home. If everybody were forced to move when they are being harassed, we would be a nation of cowards.”