ROTTERDAM 3 teens charged with vandalism Arrests follow graffiti-spraying spree BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net
Rotterdam police arrested three teenagers on criminal mischief charges stemming from a graffitipainting spree throughout town, which caused thousands of dollars worth of damage last month. David M. Walton, 15, Collin T. Rich, 17, and Zachary M. Ryan, 18, all of Rotterdam, were each arraigned Tuesday on the felony charge and sent to the Schenectady County Jail. Ryan and Rich were released on $2,000 bail, while Walton was released on $3,000 bail. Lt. Michael Brown said investigators were alerted to the group during a traffic stop last month. He said a patrolman noticed a notebook in the vehicle with markings similar to those found spray painted on the concession stand at the Rotterdam Girls Softball field in Esposito Park. “The notebook had the same type of graffiti seen around the town,” he said. Between September and October, vandals covered several of the concession stand’s walls with multicolored spray paint. The graffi ti ranged from crudely drawn figures to profanities. Similar scrawls were also found on the Babe Ruth buildings and dugouts at Memorial Park as well as on a wall at the Rotterdam Boys and Girls Club, Graffiti was discovered on the Hamburg Street bridge, a Hamburg Street business and even on the recently replaced Mariaville Road bridge. “Once we began interviewing some of the suspects, they seemed to stop,” Brown said. Brown said the total damage incurred by the vandals is in excess of $10,000. He said the three teens are expected to face additional charges for other instances of vandalism. Softball league President Jackie O’Brien was pleased to hear news of the arrests, but said it is unfortunate the three are facing felony charges for such a senseless act. If they’re found guilty, she suggested the three be sentenced to repaint what they vandalized. “In all reality, we just want our building painted and ideally, they should do it,” she said. “They made the mess, they should clean it up.” In fact, O’Brien said the league wouldn’t have even minded the teens painting pictures on the building, provided they pertained to softball and were absent obscenities. “If they had called us and said they wanted to paint some softball scenes, we would have been all for it,” she said.
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jnotar
November 29, 2007, 5:16am
Guest User
I was wondering if anyone ever gets arrested for this type of thing. I did not know it was a felony. Nice job thinking about checkin out the artwork in the notebook- most cops wouldnt have bothered goin the extra mile. Hopefully this will make other kids think twice about vandalizing the town. Felony charges are nothing to sneeze at.
In fact, O’Brien said the league wouldn’t have even minded the teens painting pictures on the building, provided they pertained to softball and were absent obscenities. “If they had called us and said they wanted to paint some softball scenes, we would have been all for it,” she said.
Oh just what we need is 'legal' graffiti!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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