On August 7, 2019, at 12:36 a.m., fire officers from the Sterling Fire Department responded to a call of a home explosion at the end of the Spruce Street, on a block roughly 40 miles south of Cleveland.
What they found were charred remains, with just a blackened chimney and two-car garage standing. Suspicion pointed to a hate crime at the hands of racist arsonists: a misspelled N-word and hastily-drawn swastika had been spray-painted on the garage door.
Angela Frase, who is Black and Brad Frase, who is white, had owned the home since 2009 and were devastated.
“It’s a blessing me and my husband…were not here,”
. “Last night I got up here, I threw up twice. I woke up this morning thinking maybe this is a dream… We decided that whatever happens, we’re not rebuilding here. We’re not coming back. We’re done.”
It was a suburban tragedy with national implications, coming at a time of heightened racial tensions and protests.
, CBS News and others covered the incident.