Determined NPD officers get their graffiti suspect
By Nelson Daily Staff
A late winter storm proved to be the undoing of a graffiti artist as Nelson Police used fresh track in the snow to find the person responsible for tags in the 300 block of Herridge Lane Thursday morning.
“Art or not?,” said Nelson Police Department acting Sargent Brian Weber in a written release.
“There is no denying that Nelson displays its fair share of graffiti. Some people see these tags as a creative art form while others view the tags as the defacing of a beautiful community.”
Weber said the resulting arrest began in the early hours of March 20 when an alert NPD officer observed large fresh graffiti tags in the downtown alley.
Weber said the paint used to produce the tags was still tacky and running down the walls.
The officer, joined by another member, followed the fresh tracks in the snow to a second, garden fresh, graffiti tag.
Weber said police continued to follow the footprints in the snow to a discarded paint can and lid.
The highly visible footprints continued to be visible in the new snow for blocks, over city streets, sidewalks, through private property, businesses and a schoolyard.
Officers doggedly tracked the suspects to a private residence approximately 10 blocks from the first discovery.
Weber said as a result of the investigative steps were taken identify an adult male suspect from Nelson as a suspect.
“Whatever side of the fence you see the issue from there is no denying that the application of graffiti to public or private property without expressed permission may constitute criminal mischief,” Sgt. Weber said.
The man has a documented history of graffiti in Nelson and as a result of his actions may be facing a criminal charge for Mischief.
The matter remains under investigation.
Not once, but twice in the same day
Thursday night (Marchg 20) police observed a young Nelson man marking a building on Josephine Street.
The male was, stopped, arrested and searched incident to the lawful arrest. A black marker was recovered from his possession as a result of the search. The suspect assured the officer that he was an artist.
The determined officer gathered further evidence from the area and contemplated recommending a criminal charge of Mischief against the male.
The suspect offered a sincere apology and sought an informal resolution.
After interviewing the male the officer decided to give the suspect a chance of redemption.
The officer explained that as long as the tag was removed and the wall was restored to the original condition by the following day then he would not proceed with criminal charges.
By the following evening the wall had been restored to its original condition.
Nelson senior targeted in an email-scam
Nelson Police received a complaint March 19 of an email scam designed to obtain money from a local senior citizen.
The senior had been conned into sending money to an undisclosed location to a person identifying themself as his girlfriend.
In exchange for a considerable amount of money the culprit had been sending photographs of a compromising nature to the senior citizen in Nelson.
Sadly, because of a debilitating disease associated to advanced age, the senior citizen was not capable of comprehending the scam.
NPD along with people close to the senior have taken steps to protect him from the unidentified predator.
Buggy game has two young adults on losing side of encounter
Two young adults escaped without charge following a game of “push the shopping buggy through the parking lot with your car” recently at the Chahko Mika Mall.
The pair was caught playing the game by police during a routine vehicle patrol.
The men propelled a shopping cart with their car until the buggy flew across the parking lot at high speed narrowly missing a parked transport truck.
The males were taken into custody for criminal mischief while the officer assessed the damage.
Fortunately for the men there was minimal damage to the shopping buggy.
Both males were released without charge after receiving a verbal warning from the officer.
