Pinata maker regrets hanging black figures to dry from porch

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man is apologizing for black piñata figures that he hung by cords from the porch roof of his home.

Victor Chavarria says the figures were piñatas created for a multiracial wedding. Chavarria tells Minnesota Public Radio News he left the freshly created piñatas to hang from his home for their paint to dry, not realizing they could be viewed as racial violence.

A photo of the figures appeared on Facebook, sparking online outrage. Chavarria says he called police and asked for extra patrols when officers arrived because he worried about backlash.

Chavarria is a Mexican immigrant who is trying to start a piñata business at his north Minneapolis home. He says he will no longer dry piñatas on his porch.

The wedding order he was working on was canceled.