Racist Flyers Found in Packages of Food

Two racist flyers have been found inside packages of food in two supermarkets, prompting denouncements from company officials and leaders of the Anti-Defamation League.

“I think the people who found these, angry as they are, recognize it as the work of somebody with a minority view,” said Barbara Bergen, counsel for the Western states region of the Anti-Defamation League. “It makes the community that much more committed to stamping out these types of things.”

Both flyers were found Monday, authorities said.

One flyer was inside a box of Cracker Jack at a Hughes Market. The other was in a box of Lady Lee crackers at a Lucky store, Lt. Bob Mosley said.

Store officials pulled both products from the shelves.

The flyers are apparently from the same person who is believed to have been planting similar ones for more than two years in grocery stores, school lockers and other places, said Judy Decker, spokeswoman for Lucky Stores Inc.

Over the past 2 1/2 years, about eight flyers have turned up in Southern California Lucky stores, Decker said. The flyers have been found in boxes with enough room to slide a piece of paper through the top.

Each instance has been reported to a unit of the Los Angeles Police Department that has been investigating the same activity there, Decker said.

“We apologize to the customer profusely because we are as offended as they are,” Decker said.

Mosley said that no other flyers were reported to police Wednesday.