In an act that shocked the local community, three teenagers have been apprehended following their alleged involvement in desecrating a Pride flag-painted intersection in Spokane, Washington. The suspects, identified as 19-year-old Ruslan V.V. Turko and two minors, reportedly defaced the mural by recklessly navigating Lime scooters over the freshly painted artwork, leaving black scuff marks in their wake.
The Spokane Police Department responded to a call on June 5, shortly after 9 pm, alerting authorities of individuals on scooters defacing the newly adorned Pride mural. Eyewitnesses recounted the ‘distressing’ scene, noting that one of the vandals launched a barrage of obscenities before fleeing from the vicinity.
Authorities elucidated that the damage incurred on the mural bore telltale signs of scooter wheel tracks, a grievous act of vandalism that tarnished the vibrant display. This cowardly violation comes in the wake of a previous incident on May 16, wherein malefactors doused the mural in a flammable substance, setting it ablaze, as documented by KREM [1].
Within half an hour of the report, law enforcement managed to apprehend Turko and the two juvenile perpetrators, matching their descriptions with surveillance footage. Turko was formally charged with first-degree malicious mischief, a grave offense that warranted his incarceration at the Spokane County Jail. Furthermore, the minor suspects faced identical charges and were remanded to the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center, as stipulated by Washington law, classifying the offense as a class B felony.
Expressing her indignation over the heinous act, witness Kaylee Gaines McGee denounced the vandalism as a targeted hate crime that brazenly defiled a cherished symbol of inclusivity within downtown Spokane. “People don’t just go and do that without intention. You don’t destroy symbols without intention behind it,” McGee passionately conveyed, encapsulating the community’s stance against such flagrant acts of hatred.
Following judicial proceedings, Turko was released under strict conditions barring any contact with the mural or co-accused teens. Prosecutors had recommended a bail set at $15,000, reaffirming the gravity of the offense and the imperative to uphold justice in the face of wanton destruction.