A 16-year-old individual, who allegedly vandalized a World War I memorial statue in New York City, has been arrested after being turned in by his father. The teenager, a high school student in Staten Island, is now facing charges of criminal mischief and making graffiti in connection with the desecration of the 107th Infantry Memorial on Monday night.
Reportedly, the teen has no prior arrest record. The memorial was defaced with pro-Palestinian stickers, and protesters also spray-painted 'Free Gaza' and burned an American flag at the site. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry shared an image on Thursday night showing the male individual in custody.
Daughtry emphasized the seriousness of the vandalism, stating, “The despicable vandalism we saw earlier this week on the WWI Memorial will not be ignored, and will not go unpunished. One of the culprits was placed in handcuffs today thanks to the World’s Greatest Detectives. This isn’t simply juvenile hijinks -- it’s an act of desecration that undermines the freedoms our heroes fought and died for.”
