MANKATO — A Mankato man will serve probation and perform community service after causing property damage with his graffiti.
John Dillon Wood Neitge, 31, was convicted of felony first-degree property damage Monday in Blue Earth County District Court. The charge would be lessened to a misdemeanor upon successful completion of probation.
His supervised probation will last three years, according to a sentencing order, and he’ll do five days of sentence to service and pay $700 in restitution.
The case against Neitge began in 2021 when a business and the city found the word “TILDE” spray painted on various pieces of private and public property. It’s unclear what the meaning of the word is, but police found it in dozens of locations between October and November 2021.
Police identified Neitge after asking for the public’s help in the investigation and releasing surveillance images depicting a suspect.