This is how a Colorado woman fought back against the community that bullied her and tried to take her property.

In the second installment of the series, we delve deeper into Taralyn Romero's ongoing struggle to protect her property rights in Kittredge, Colorado.

The use of social media can manipulate the truth, alter perception, and create discord among neighbors. It has the power to transform an ordinary woman residing near a park into a malevolent figure.

The first online confrontation that Taralyn Romero recalls was seemingly harmless. In her memory, she remembers a grandmother and two young children in her backyard. The children, armed with small shovels, were digging holes in the creek bank as if it were a beach, she said.

Romero approached the woman and inquired if the children were allowed to play in the sandbox located in the playground. Although Romero spoke in a normal manner, the woman appeared taken aback, as if she had not anticipated anyone would approach her.

On social media, Romero witnessed a rant from the woman's daughter, portraying her as a cruel woman who had screamed at the grandmother and frightened the children.

""People in their minds said that this family was not wanted in their community and neighborhood, and once they believed this false narrative, they felt empowered and brave for threatening us," Romero told Planet Chronicle Digital."

In early 2021, Romero bought a house in the woods about half an hour outside Denver, Colorado. Her backyard included a steep hill and, below, a creek ran through the edge of the property with a community park on the other side. This marked the beginning of her battle with her community and, ultimately, her local government.

For decades, locals had been playing in the creek, but Romero discovered through a property survey that the land on either side of the water belonged to her.

When that rope went up, people lost their damn minds … It catapulted this situation into a whole other stratosphere. — Taralyn Romero

Officials in the county admitted they were unsure of the landowner because the creek may have shifted since the initial property lines were established. They urged community members to investigate the creek from a nearby park a mile east of Kittredge while they worked to resolve the issue.

Many people ignored the request.

Romero, after a year of dealing with trash, damage, and potential legal liability, decided she had had enough. She blocked access to the creek by hanging a thin blue rope across her property line and posting "no trespassing" signs on the trees.

"That rope going up caused people to lose their minds," she said. "It took the situation to a whole new level."

In Facebook and Nextdoor groups, people began to collaborate and openly disregard the rope, believing that the land was public property or should be because the community had enjoyed it for an extended period.

Numerous individuals ignored the signs and strolled up to the water's edge, waving at Romero as they did so.

In one video, she can be heard calling out, "You guys are trespassing, Hi."

"I am aware, thank you for being a great neighbor," the woman replies, giving a thumbs up.

Romero perceived herself as being depicted as a "villain" who "opposed children's enjoyment."

The native Coloradan remembered being called a rich White woman from California or being told to go back to Mexico by those who knew her.

A screenshot shared with Planet Chronicle Digital reveals that a member of the Save Kittredge Park committee posted an alternative version of Martin Niemoller's famous critique of Nazism and those who remained silent in the face of evil.

"The woman wrote, 'First they came for the city dwellers, and I remained silent because I was not a city dweller. Then they came for the locals, and I did not back them.'"

Michael Eymer, Romero's partner, was aghast.

"Eymer, with Jewish ancestry, found it deeply offensive when someone compared their actions to Nazis in a post comment, as he stated."

Romero stated that it didn't take much time for "real life danger" to result from "social media bullying."

""If you anger the wrong person, you may face the consequences of losing your house or even worse, and I hope you don't lose your land," reads a message on Romero's GoFundMe page for legal fees."

Romero and Eymer were flipped off by people near the creek. A man yelled "Suck my d---" at Eymer when he told him to stay off their property. A woman mooned a surveillance camera near Romero's house twice.

Romero's belief in the power of facts over feelings was challenged when she attempted to share survey results showing property lines, only to be blocked by community groups or accused of bribing the surveyor. Even her friends who tried to support her and her family were met with similar obstacles.

One community member labeled Romero as the wicked witch and altered her profile picture to resemble Glinda the Good Witch from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

In August 2022, after being excluded from online community groups, Romero found solace on TikTok and created her own persona as the "Wicked Witch of the West."

"If someone like that comes to my property, cusses me out, flips me off, trespasses, and is just a general bully, and she is the good witch, then I guess I am the wicked witch, right? Romero said. Because I am the opposite of her."

The video, which has gained over 4.5 million views, depicts a crowd of families enjoying time in Bear Creek. In the video, a displeased Romero, with her dark hair, red lips, and black hat, is placed over the scene.

The caption states that from the point of view of those who told you not to buy property next to a park, it's not a big deal and you shouldn't have expected the public to be in your backyard.

Romero stated that she desired a platform to express herself through humor. Initially, her posts ridiculed the women she claimed had accused her of "stealing" the land. Suddenly, she amassed 15,000 followers, followed by 100,000.

If she is the good witch, I guess I am the wicked witch, right? Because I am the opposite of her. — Taralyn Romero

She began using the forum as a means of artistic expression to deal with what had transpired, but it soon evolved into a platform for her to share her perspective.

Instead of being kicked off platforms, she now had a sympathetic audience, outraged at people's lack of respect for private property.

She said, "The change in my social media usage was a result of a traumatic and prolonged situation over my property. I used social media to reverse the situation."

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners sued her for access to the land just three weeks before she posted her first TikTok video.

She stated that they were pursuing everything they could in order to seize my property.

The second installment of the series about Taralyn Romero's property rights battle in Kittredge, Colorado, can be read on Tuesday.