A St. John's woman is shocked but mystified by homophobic graffiti sprayed over her family's home and vehicle this week.

"It's very, very disheartening to think that Newfoundlanders would do such a horrible, horrible act of crime," said Patricia Courage, who woke up Thursday to find profanity, the word "queer" and a drawing of an erect penis sprayed on her home.

They are very low people to [do] such horrible things."

The word "fag" was also sprayed across one side of Courage's SUV.

Courage said she does not know why her house was the only residence on Terra Nova Road to be spray-painted. As far as she knows, no one living inside is gay.

Her daughter suggested that the vandal may have mistakenly thought someone else lived there.