WATCH: Racial Tensions Flare in Glennwilde Neighbor Wars

Michael Soto, a resident of Glennwilde, has publicly alleged ongoing harassment from a neighbor he describes as “racist.” The conflict escalated on November 1, when Soto reported an incident involving a middle finger gesture from the neighbor as he entered his pickup truck.

In a conversation with InMaricopa, Soto shared home surveillance footage capturing the moment. In the footage, Soto’s neighbor can be heard using a derogatory term toward him. The exchange escalated with Soto replying before following the man out of the neighborhood in his vehicle.

A separate video, which Soto provided, depicts him confronting the neighbor at the corner of Porter and Honeycutt Roads. During this encounter, he aimed to document the neighbor’s license plate while engaging in a verbal dispute.

Following the incident, Soto contacted the Maricopa Police Department, only to be advised to file for an injunction through the courts. This was not the first time he sought police assistance regarding interactions with his neighbor.

The tensions date back to an incident three years ago when a monsoon knocked down a tree in the neighbor’s yard. After arriving home from a landscaping job, Soto was allegedly confronted by the neighbor about the fallen tree, leading to a heated exchange. Soto felt that the neighbor’s aggression was rooted in racial bias, which he explicitly articulated in his refusal to assist.

Soto’s concerns escalated markedly in February when he was verbally attacked while working on his car. The neighbor reportedly shouted derogatory remarks, including demands for Soto to “go back to [his] effing country.” This encounter marked the beginning of a series of ongoing verbal abuses, as Soto noted.