In a story that’s equal parts irritating and hilarious, a 30-year-old guy intent on channeling his inner preteen was arrested in Chicago Sunday for defacing a statue of Christopher Columbus – but only after cops caught him when he fell off his bike.
The Chicago Tribune explains Kyle Miskell, 30, was charged with felony criminal damage to government property and criminal defacement of property after he and two of his buddies spray-painted obscenities on a local Columbus statue, just in time for Columbus Day.
According to the authorities, the trio tagged the statue with the messages, "All colonies are burning," "Muerte al estado,” and "f--- Columbus.” They also painted the statue’s head and hands red.
The three took off on their bikes – yes, bikes – after an off-duty cop caught them literally red-handed. The masked and gloved Miskell was arrested after he fell off his bike during the subsequent chase. Miskell’s being held at the local jail on a $3,000 bond.
While certainly one of the more ridiculous accounts, last weekend’s vandalism certainly wasn’t the first time a group of lowlifes have messed up public statues to one of history’s greatest Western explorers. Vandals, including some who’ve identified with Antifa and Black Lives Matter, have also screwed up Columbus statues in Washington, D.C., Richmond, St. Louis and Detroit, among others.
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