Police Make First Arrest in Texas Vandalism Spree
Police in Arlington, Texas, have arrested one suspect in a vandalism spree with an antigay component, and they expect to bring in four more.
Daniel Sibley, 18, of Fort Worth was arrested Tuesday in connection with the June 10 spree, which consisted of 13 instances of “derogatory images and words” being spray-painted on homes and cars in Arlington, a suburb of Dallas–Fort Worth, the Dallas Voice reports. The words “queers” and “faggot” were painted on a lesbian couple’s SUV; the vehicle bore a sticker with figures of two women, a child, and a pet, so the vandals apparently assumed it belonged to a same-sex couple.
Video surveillance cameras at two homes caught teenagers spray-painting the houses and cars, said Arlington police sergeant Christopher Cook at a press conference this morning. He said two other adults would be booked in connection with the crime this afternoon, and he expected a female juvenile to turn herself in. Police were still trying to contact one other adult suspect.
Cook said Sibley and the other suspects will be charged with criminal mischief causing damage ranging from $1,500 to $20,000 in value, a felony that carries a penalty of 180 days to two years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine. If a hate-crime enhancement is added to the charge, the jail term will be two to 10 years. Acting police chief Will Johnson said it is clear to him that the incident involving the lesbian couple was a hate crime, and police are recommending that the local district attorney prosecute it as such. They are also reporting it to the FBI.
http://www.advocate.com/crime/2012/06/20/police-make-first-arrest-texas-vandalism-spree
= new reply since forum marked as read
