WESTERLY – Two teenagers are charged with vandalism and malicious damage to property after police said they pelted the Christopher Columbus statue in Wilcox Park with eggs and defaced the base of the monument with blue paint.
A 14-year-old girl was arrested on June 29 and a 13-year-old boy was charged on July 2 after investigating the incident in late June, Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey said. Additional fees may apply depending on the final assessment of the damage to the statue and the cost of restoration.
A worker from Buzzi Memorials in Stonington was seen removing egg stains that remained on the statue on Thursday. Park workers had previously tried unsuccessfully to remove the stains and debris, officials said.
According to Lacey, officers encountered a group of four teenagers near the statue on June 27 and saw at least one of them carrying eggs. He said the officers did not notice any damage to the statue at the time.
Police received a call the next day from a city official who works in the park and said the statue was covered in eggs and a blue paint that police believe is water based. Security cameras were installed last year to monitor the statue and provide a live stream to the police, but an internet connection problem prevented the vandals from being seen in security camera footage, Lacey said.
The arrested teenagers told police they were motivated by concerns about racist issues across the country, police said.
A security fence is expected to be erected around the statue next week. City officials and the Board of Trustees of Westerly Library and Wilcox Park have arrested attempts to install fences, cameras and additional lighting following an incident in August 2020 in which potential vandals with cans of red spray paint tried to deface the statue.
The additional cameras and lights are already installed.
