msnbc.com--An African-American family from Detroit was the victim of a racially-charged attack in Livonia.
Police said the incident happened Tuesday outside the AMC 20 Movie Theatres on Haggerty Road, just north of 7 Mile Road.
According to the family, three white men drove by them in the theater parking lot, yelled racial slurs and threw a liquid in the face of a 6-year-old girl.
"It was just evil, that's all that I could think of," said Nesia, the girl's mother. The family's last name is not being released out of concern for their safety. "I didn't fully realize what happened until my daughter yelled out and said 'mommy.' "
The girl's father, Larry, said he was shocked and left speechless.
"I really didn't know what to say. I was in total shock," Larry said. "The truck drove up and they were yelling, calling us monkeys and baboons and making monkey noises."
The family had just left the theater after seeing the new Smurf movie. The parents reported the incident to the theatre but were told there was little employees could do.
The theater does have security camera video which may have captured the incident. The tape was handed over to police Wednesday evening.
Police said they are investigating the case as an ethntic intimidation crime.
The father said the men were in an older model pickup truck with fading red paint and a black cap, but he did not get the license plate.
The parents said the liquid appeared to be a soft drink.
"I just wish it had been drenched or poured on us -- me or my husband," Nesia said. "My daughter didn't deserve that. She's only 6."
The girl, who starts first grade this fall, doesn't understand why they were attacked.
"My mom said there are mean people in the world and that you just have to pray for them so they don't do it again," the girl said.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Thursday, August 4th 2011 at 12:48PM
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