Man accused of spray-painting downtown Wilmington monument
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Wilmington police arrested a man accused of spray-painting a downtown monument early Wednesday morning.
According to a spokeswoman for the Wilmington Police Department, officers responded to the 400 block of Market Street near Fourth Street around 1:30 a.m. after receiving a call about a man defacing the monument to Cornelius Harnett.
When approached by police, the suspect — 25-year-old Francisco Amieva — ran south on Fourth Street but was quickly apprehended.
Amieva is charged with injury to real property, defacing public monuments, wearing a mask on public property, and resist/delay/obstruct an officer.
The police spokeswoman added that it was unclear what Amieva’s motivations were.
The near-30-foot-tall obelisk monument honors Wilmington native Cornelius Harnett who, historians say, helped lead the American resistance against the Stamp Act of 1765 which was enacted by Great Britain. Harnett also represented North Carolina in the Continental Congress.
His grave at Saint James Episcopal Church sits just across the street from the Market Street monument that bears his name.
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