Anti-Semitic flyers left in Lake County neighborhoods, deputies investigating

MINNEOLA, Fla. - The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after anti-Semitic flyers were left in a Minneola neighborhood. 

"I thought… I’ve got to get these up before my neighbors see them. I don’t want them to think something this evil is in our yards," said one neighbor, who asked FOX 35 News not to share her name. 

The woman filled four grocery bags with the pamphlets. She says she spotted them on a walk Thursday morning after the hateful images caught her eye. 

"I said - that doesn’t look very friendly. So I checked it out and picked one up and read it and it was pretty awful," the resident said. 

Lake County deputies say the messages were distributed in baggies, weighted down with pebbles. They were left all over the Park Ridge subdivision. They’re now trying to track down whoever dropped them off. 

MORE NEWS: Florida school grades: See how your child's district scored

"Here in our little city, I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before. I was completely thrown back by it," said Pam Serviss, the city’s vice mayor. She also lives in the neighborhood that was targeted. 

Investigators say the anti-Semitic flyers have been left in other Lake County neighborhoods recently as well.  

"It’s very disappointing that something like this had to happen. First and foremost, Minneola is not going to take this lightly," Serviss said. 

Deputies are asking anyone who may have surveillance of the person who distributed the pamphlets to contact them.