Crime & Safety

Teen Charged in Year-Long Graffiti Sting (With Video)

Middletown Police arrest a teen, 17 at the time, on 26 counts — one a felony.

An 18-year-old man was arrested Monday after a year-long police investigation on 26 counts of graffiti in Middletown, one a felony, according to Middletown Police Lt. Heather Desmond in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

Because he was a minor at the time of the crimes, Desmond said, his name is not being released, although Lt. Gary Wallace did say New Britian Police assisted in the investigation and the teen was on probation at the time.

Wallace said the unit investigated graffiti with the initials "NK" or "NSK," which "affected multiple downtown businesses.

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"We were pretty much plagued by it," he said.

The unit, with the assistance of the Downtown Business District's guides, who photographed graffiti around town, compiled at least 100 cases of this individual's work. Wallace said officers found "a website that had the same exact same graffiti," and obtained a search warrant for the subscriber.

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The teen was charged with first-degree criminal mischief (a felony), eight counts of second-degree criminal mischief, 17 counts of third-degree criminal mischief, damage to railroad property and third-degree criminal trespass. The felony carries a sentence of one to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.


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