KBIA Local
(2009-06-10)
COLUMBIA, MO
(KBIA) -
Police arrested a Fulton man in connection with the Winston Churchill memorial graffiti damage at Westminster College. They were arrested 24-year-old Victor Calderon at his house Tuesday night. Last week, authorities found the damaged memorial with graffiti on a portion of the Berlin Wall, the Churchill bronze statue and a 300-year-old English church. Fulton Police Chief Steve Myers says Calderon had political motives for his actions."Calderon believed that the Berlin Wall stood for the downfall of tyranny. And wanted to be a part of it by putting his graffiti on the wall."
Myers says Calderon is charged with institutional vandalism and several other counts of property damage. Police are holding him on 35 thousand dollars bond. Winston Churchill memorial executive director Rob Havers says workers have already started restoring the memorial.
"What we've done in the interim is obviously talk to our insurers, but we're got three separate companies to come in and clean up the damage."
Havers says the damage is not permanent. He also says workers have scrubbed off most of the graffiti while the rest will be taken off by next week.
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