Bond set for suspects accused of vandalizing downtown Confederate monument

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Bond has been set for two people suspected of vandalizing a Confederate monument in downtown Charleston.

A judge set a PR bond of $2125 each for 23-year-old Charles Dennis Chandler of Charleston and 29-year-old Kayleigh Nicole Roberts of Goose Creek for vandalizing the Confederate Defenders monument in White Point Gardens using a “red paint like substance.”

Both are charged with damage to real property, and were being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center.

“It’s pretty sad, I think," Charleston resident Brendan McCarthy said. "There are other ways you can go about showing your disagreement with something. We all come here to enjoy the spot. It’s just a shame that somebody had to go and do that. I’m glad they were able to clean it up quickly.”

Crews from the city had cleaned up the paint after a few hours on Monday afternoon.

“Well, I think it’s ironic that some of our perhaps underpaid at times an undervalued city employees are quickly here cleaning this up instead of the rest of the area," Charleston resident Mary Cole said.

A police report states at 12:41 p.m. on Sunday, officers responded to the area of 2 Murray Boulevard for a report of vandalism.

“Once on scene, witnesses provided the officers with a description of the suspects,” said officials with Charleston police.

According to investigators, the suspects were located a short distance away on Murray Boulevard just west of King Street.

“They were identified by witnesses as the suspects who damaged the monument,” CPD officials said in a report. “The director of the city’s Parks Department was notified and he will have several Parks Department personnel clean the monument.”

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