PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) - A 17-year-old boy is responsible for recently spraying red paint all over Plymouth Rock and several other sites in the historic Massachusetts community, police said Thursday.
The teen faces 11 felony counts of vandalism and one misdemeanor count of trespassing, Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri said in a statement.
The suspect’s name was not released because he is a juvenile, but the chief did say he is a resident of the town, which this year is marking the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival. The rock symbolizes the spot where the Mayflower Pilgrims disembarked in December 1620.
The suspect was identified by detectives who reviewed hours of surveillance video from the area, the chief said.
In addition to Plymouth Rock, the National Monument to the Forefathers and the Plymouth Maiden statue were found defaced on Feb. 17.
Most of the places were defaced with the number and letter combination 508 MOF. Botieri told The Patriot Ledger the boy offered no explanation for what was written. The vandalism has since been cleaned up.
The Feb. 17 vandalism is not connected to vandalism to the town’s 9/11 Memorial discovered last Sunday, the chief said.
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