WILTON -- A hand-painted, plywood sign that had a threat directed at homosexuals was found nailed on a tree in the front yard of a Route 156 residence on Friday, police say.

Police consider the incident a homophobic hate crime, and it has been referred to the Office of the Maine Attorney General, said Wilton Police Chief Dennis Brown.

On Friday at about 7 a.m., the property owners discovered a red wood sign with an anti-gay message and promptly tore it down and burned it, Brown said. There are no leads in the case, he said.

There have been no other reports of hate crimes in the area that targeted same-sex marriage or gay and lesbians, according to area police agencies in Farmington and Franklin County.

Brown said the case has been referred to the Office of the Maine Attorney General. Under state law, a hate crime is criminal conduct and is a violation of the Maine Civil Rights Act if it is motivated by bias.

When a person or property is affected by a crime based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation, it can be considered a factor under the sentencing provisions of the Maine Criminal Code.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Wilton police at 645-3876.

Brown said he did not know why that location was targeted or whether there was a connection to the fact that same-sex marriage is on the state's ballot today. Question 1 reads, "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?"