Merion Village bakery to reopen Tuesday following racist threats

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Columbus Police tell us the person responsible for threats against a Merion Village business could be charged with a hate crime.

Bake Me Happy in Merion Village plans to reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday after owners say they received a threatening and racist phone call Sunday morning.

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Co-owner, Letha Pugh, is thanking the community for positive messages left behind on their Merion Village location’s doors. Some of the notes said, “you are loved,” “hate has no home in Merion Village” and “black lives matter.”

Pugh says she’s touched by the support. “It was just a really good gesture. Merion Village is one of the best places you can live and work. They have always wrapped their arms around us and their support.”

The notes were left behind several hours after someone made an alarming call to the business.

“Someone called the bakery. They probably thought they were talking with me and you know, proceeded to use the N-word, suggested that I get out of the building. When someone says I better get out of somewhere, it’s probably never a good thing. Just in light of what’s been happening over the last couple of weeks, couple of months, couple of years, I just felt like that’s enough of a threat for me,” said Pugh.

Pugh says they immediately closed and posted a note to social media. She says she and her wife who is the co-owner of the businesses have spent the last day and a half increasing security measures and getting a plan in place for future emergencies.

“My first thought was you know, I never want my staff to be afraid to come to work and to have to deal with that first thing in the morning,” said Pugh. “Just kind of being able to take a minute and get things figured out, we’re pretty comfortable opening tomorrow.”

The Columbus Police Department says it’s investigating the threats. A representative tells us whoever is responsible could be charged with a hate crime.

Pugh says their doors will not remain closed because of hatred. “I don’t operate out of fear.”