Crime & Safety

Vandal's Motto? Take Only Christmas Lights, Leave Only Graffiti

Spraypainted tags and missing Christmas lights at two properties, Stillwater police say.

Christmas lights disappeared from an outdoor tree and graffiti appeared on at least two residential properties Nov. 16–17, according to Stillwater police.

A suspect possibly related to the incidents ran away from a Washington County deputy, leaving behind spray paint, Christmas lights and lawn signs. 

According to police incident reports: 

Just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a report of suspicious activity in the area of Martha Street N. and Olive Street W. A resident of the 600 block of Olive Street saw a male with a bag and a can who dropped the items when he realized he'd been seen and ran away.

The same suspect had also run away from a Washington County deputy in the area of Pine and Martha. The suspect description: a white male in his early 20s wearing black sweatshirt and blue jeans, carrying a dark back pack. 

About three and half hours later a Stillwater officer found related items at the corner of Olive and Martha: a can of Painters Touch spray paint, a string of Christmas lights and two lawn signs. 

The officer noted a small graffiti mark on a retaining wall in the 700 block of Olive Street "in an unknown shape and pattern." The homeowner told police he intended to have the graffiti removed. 

Later Sunday, shortly after 6 p.m., another Stillwater officer responded to the 1100 block of Meadowlark Drive where a resident reported graffiti on "new looking Cedar fence that ran along the walking path near McKusick Lake entrance. ... It was a large section, approximately 6x8'. It was all in white spray paint and appeared to be possibly 2 different styles of graffiti."
In block lettering were the letters "LE" above the words "is more." Another word, possibly "CREZEY," appeared written sideways. 

The resident also reported approximately two strands of 100-count Christmas lights missing from one of his trees, estimated value $20–25. 

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