The streets of Downtown Boston became the canvas for vandalism last night as five men were arrested and charged with defacement of property. According to a report from the Boston Police Department, the quintet was spotted by officers from District A-1 spray-painting a box truck and multiple buildings near Washington Street and Winter Street.
Police were called to the scene around 6:03 PM after reports of the vandalism were made. Witnesses provided descriptions that allowed officers to quickly locate the suspects. A brief foot chase unfurled when one suspect attempted to evade arrest, but he was soon caught and handcuffed by the pursuing officers. The other four were apprehended without further incident, as detailed in a statement by the Boston Police Department.
The suspects, identified as Deion Weatherspoon-Crosby, 31, Richard Huertas, 27, Nolan Smith, 19, Matthew Hauser, 27, and Alexander Quinones, 25, hail from various Boston neighborhoods ranging from Roxbury to Marshfield. All were placed under arrest on the spot and will be facing charges for the graffiti that marred the commercial area.
This incident comes as city officials have been pushing to quickly address—and deter—acts of vandalism and property defacement. The quintet is set to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court, where they will formally respond to the charges. Boston PD’s crackdown on such activities appears to become increasingly vigorous as the city grapples with maintaining its historical and urban aesthetic integrity. The arraignment will reveal whether this incident will be a deterrent to others or merely a blip in an ongoing urban challenge.