An Addison man is facing a criminal charge related to an allegedly threatening phone call he made to an activist group that represents migrant farmworkers last month.
Chase Atkins, 24, is cited to appear in Superior Court in Addison County in November on a charge of using a telephone or electronic communications to disturb the peace related to a voicemail he left for Migrant Justice. He also faces an enhanced penalty for a hate-motivated crime.
Vermont State Police say Atkins allegedly let the air out of the tires of a vehicle of a Migrant Justice employee in August when the employee was visiting a farm in Addison. The vehicle was not damaged — the tires were later reinflated, police say.
Days later, according to police, Atkins called Migrant Justice and left a voicemail, asking them not to return. Police said in a statement that the message “would have left a reasonable person to feel threatened and intimidated.”
The arrest comes after Migrant Justice highlighted a series of incidents in August, during which farmworkers in Addison County said a group of people gathered outside their homes, shouting, breaking things and firing a gun.
Three Bridport men were arrested earlier this month on charges of vandalism and firing a weapon in connection with incidents on farms in Addison County. Police said the incidents stemmed from a feud between farm families, and no bias-related charges were filed. The three are due in court next month.
Atkins, however, is facing a hate crime enhancement in addition to the misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace. Police said that the Addison County State’s Attorney’s office decided to pursue the charges after investigators spoke with Atkins and issued him a citation earlier this month.
Police have also notified the Vermont Attorney General’s Bias Incident Reporting System about the incident.
Marita Canedo of Migrant Justice said that though the group appreciates that police have taken action, “stress and anxiety” related to these incidents continues to resonate in the community.
“These people are still free and walking around,” she said. “It’s been hard, it’s been a challenge.”
Migrant Justice routinely visits farmworkers, checking in on their living and working conditions. But Canedo said that no one from the group has visited the farm where the Migrant Justice advocate’s tires were deflated because of the phone message, allegedly from Atkins, and Facebook communication.
“It’s terrible to know that they cannot take visitors to the farm,” Canedo said. “If we go back, worse things are going to happen.”
Canedo believes that police followed up on the incidents because Migrant Justice highlighted them on social media, drawing considerable attention and community support.
“It’s unfortunate that the most vulnerable communities have to raise their voices higher and ask for more public support for law enforcement to take the right steps,” she said.
Atkins did not respond to a request for comment on the allegation against him concerning the phone message.
He is due to appear in court in Middlebury for arraignment on Nov. 18.
Correction: This story originally incorrectly spelled Marita Canedo’s last name.