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Kenny Antonio Guevara, 29, of Chillum, has been charged in Prince George’s County for allegedly damaging new street art in Hyattsville because he thought it "represented gay pride," according to police.
Late in the afternoon on Thursday, June 29, officers from the Hyattsville Police Department were called to the intersection of Jefferson Street and 40th Avenue, where a man was caught spray painting the recently completed project.
According to officials, the art, “Quilted Crossing,” was installed this week by the city “to increase visibility and improve pedestrian safety at the intersection.”
Witnesses said that they spotted the suspect - later identified as Guevara - who fled the scene in a Toyota Camry with a falsified tags.
Following the vandalism, officers continued to patrol the area, and Guevara later returned to the scene of the crime at approximately 10 p.m. on Thursday night in the same vehicle described by the witnesses.
While speaking to Guevara, officers say that he stated that he spray-painted the art installation because he thought it represented “Gay Pride,” and he was subsequently arrested and charged with malicious destruction of property and a hate crime.
His arrest comes on the heels of several similar incidents throughout the region that has seen hateful vandals targeting certain signage and imagery.
The Department of Public Works was on hand on Friday to begin removing the spray paint.
“We are very disappointed to see this new amenity defaced by someone motivated by hate,” Hyattsville Mayor Robert Croslin said. “I want to reassure the community that we will not tolerate acts of hate in the City of Hyattsville, and we are working to restore the artwork as quickly as possible.”
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