Racist Letter Threatens To Burn Down Woman's Home If She's Too Noisy

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- At first glance, it looks like a seemingly innocent letter-- to a new neighbor.

But what was inside has Philadelphia police investigating and a homeowner disturbed.

It's a newly renovated house in the heart of Tacony. Connie Mella calls it home but not everyone in the neighborhood welcomed her with open arms.

Mella tells CBS3 she saw that she received a letter in the mail that did not have a return address on it, so she decided to open it. In it, she found a letter filled with racism and hate.

The sender threatened to burn down her home if she was too noisy and claim they've already done it once before.

Mella says she feel nervous to even live in the home.

Neighbor Juliette Underwood was left shocked after reading a copy of the letter.

"It's disgusting," she says.

Underwood says this isn't the first time these letters have gone around.

"A few families got threatening letters about kids making noise same thing and then there was a couple arsons," she says.

As police work to find who's responsible, neighbors are denouncing the resident who decided to remain anonymous.

"A racist bigot piece of you know. It's the only thing I can think of," said Underwood.

Police tell us they are taking this threat seriously and are actively investigating.

A spokesperson with the Tacony Watch Group says they ask for community involvement, they do not discriminate against any age, sex, religion, race, or sexual orientation. They say the letter was not the work of Tacony Watch Group, but the work of a person who has evil intentions.