Authorities asked the public Tuesday for help in identifying a defiant vandal who destroyed equipment and spray-painted graffiti last month at UC San Diego’s Mandeville Center, causing an estimated $18,000 worth of damage.
The perpetrator had a black mask covering his face when he went on the destructive spree at the La Jolla campus in the predawn hours of Jan. 5, according to police.
The man smashed a rooftop junction box, used a sledgehammer to break eight video surveillance cameras attached to walls and stairwells, and tore down plastic”men” and “women” signs from bathroom doors.
He also used gold paint to tag a wall, writing, ” “YOU CAN PAINT OVER ME YOU CAN CATCH ME YOU CAN EXPELL ME I WILL STILL BE HERE.”
The vandal, a thin man who may have a small mole near the inside corner of his right eye, was wearing dark-colored pants, a gray long-sleeve hooded sweat shirt, a baseball-style cap and black shoes.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
— City News Service
