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On Saturday, April 23, the Veterans “Honor Roll” monument at Ma Riis Park in Harrison - which represents wartime vets from the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other conflicts - was spray-painted and damaged by a vandal, prompting a police investigation.
Harrison Police Chief John Vasta announced on Tuesday, April 26 that following a three-day investigation, a local man - 37-year-old Gabriel Mendoza, of Harrison - had been identified as a suspect and apprehended.
According to police, a suspect - later identified as Mendoza - was caught on camera spray-painting the monument at approximately 1:20 a.m. on April 23, and he was tracked through surveillance video to a Harrison neighborhood.
Vasta said that Mendoza was identified from previous police contacts.
On Monday, April 25, Vasta said that as the investigation into the vandalism was ongoing, Mendoza returned to Ma Riis Park, where he allegedly damaged flower beds around the park before fleeing the area.
Mendoza was tracked from the park to his Harrison home, where he admitted to vandalizing the monument and other locations in the town. He was taken into custody without incident.
Mendoza was charged with:
- Third-degree criminal mischief;
- Two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief;
- Three counts of making graffiti.
He was released and scheduled to return to court at a later date.
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