, ▁and ▁this ▁served ▁to ▁spread ▁the ▁anti - R oman i ▁h yst eria ▁outside ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁The ▁police ▁finally ▁abandoned ▁this ▁line ▁of ▁investigation . ▁Still , ▁when ▁the ▁girl ' s ▁body ▁was ▁finally ▁found , ▁her ▁dist ra ug ht ▁father ▁Frank ▁Par ou bek ▁charged : ▁" I ▁am ▁sure ▁the ▁gy ps ies ▁st ole ▁my ▁girl ▁and ▁then ▁when ▁they ▁knew ▁we ▁were ▁after ▁them , ▁they ▁killed ▁her ▁and ▁threw ▁her ▁body ▁into ▁the ▁canal ." ▁The ▁anti - R oman i ▁ag itation ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁missing ▁girl ▁was ▁a ▁Czech ▁American , ▁and ▁the ▁Czech ▁American ▁community ▁mass ively ▁mobil ized ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁searches ▁and ▁support ▁her ▁family . ▁This ▁might ▁have ▁had ▁the ▁in ad vert ent ▁result ▁of ▁importing ▁the ▁pre jud ices ▁which ▁were ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁Czech ▁society ▁to ▁America . ▁ ▁Pres ent ▁Situ ation ▁At ▁the ▁present ▁time , ▁because ▁the ▁Roma ▁population ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁has ▁quickly ▁assim il ated ▁and ▁Roma ▁people ▁are ▁not ▁often ▁port rayed ▁in ▁US ▁popular ▁culture , ▁the ▁term ▁" G y ps y " ▁is ▁typically ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁trade ▁or ▁l ifest yle ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Roman i ▁eth nic ▁group . ▁While ▁many ▁Americans ▁consider ▁eth nic ▁cost umes ▁off ensive ▁( such ▁as ▁black face ), ▁many ▁Americans ▁continue ▁to ▁dress ▁up ▁as ▁gy ps y ▁characters ▁for