A case involving chalk drawings on the exterior of City Hall has been referred to the Genesee Coumty District Attorney’s Office, Police Chief Shawn Heubusch says.
Stemming from an Aug. 8 graffiti spree in which the brick columns, doors and sidewalks were marked with about a dozen crude pictures, city police have investigated the matter, Heubusch said, and are now waiting to hear if “any criminal charges are applicable,” he said in response to The Batavian’s request for an update.
The drawings, thought at the time to be “anti-ReAwaken Tour” depictions that rejected hate and fascism, were discovered after a City Council meeting that ended around 8:45 p.m.
City Manager Rachael Tabelski and Public Works Director Brett Frank, along with city police officers, then inspected the building’s exterior to find out how much graffiti was done.
Police had also checked the surveillance cameras, and “videos have been accessed and watched,” Tabelski said.
“It’s still a continuing, ongoing investigation,” she said Tuesday. “I am hopeful it will lead to an individual, or individuals, being held responsible for defacing public property.”
At the time, police said the person responsible will face a charge of criminal tampering, a class B misdemeanor. The City of Batavia was going to keep track of the cost of the cleanup and submit an amount to the police for the case.
File Photo of graffiti drawn in August at City Hall by Alecia Kaus.
