Vandalism of Black Lives Matter street mural ends in arrests, California cops say

Two men face charges after defacing a Black Lives Matter street mural in downtown Santa Cruz with tire “burn-outs” Friday night, California police say.

Brandon Bochat, 20, of Santa Cruz, and Hagan Warner, 19, of Boulder Creek were arrested Saturday on suspicion of vandalism and conspiracy to commit vandalism, police reported.

Investigators determined Bochat and Warner took turns driving over the mural to leave tire marks on it.

Police were notified Saturday morning about the vandalism and recovered video of a vehicle intentionally doing “burn-outs” on the mural Friday night, police said.

“We will work to repair the mural and stand in solidarity with our community to oppose hate,” said Mayor Donna Meyers in a statement, calling the vandalism “unacceptable.”

“This crime saddens me greatly,” said local NAACP leader Brenda Griffin. She praised the police for putting a high priority on the case.

“It’s extraordinarily frustrating as some people still don’t get Black Lives Matter too,” Griffin said. “This mural is a symbol of hope. We want our youth to know we have their backs.”

Police posts to Facebook about the vandalism and arrests provoked hundreds of comments, with some accusing the city of over-reacting and others appalled by the racist comments.

This story was originally published July 25, 2021 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Vandalism of Black Lives Matter street mural ends in arrests, California cops say."