A Black Lives Matter mural outside Vermont’s statehouse was vandalized just hours after being painted, police said.
The mural, painted Saturday in Montpelier by more than a hundred volunteers, was smeared early Sunday with several gallons of dirt and oil, leaving one of its 25-foot yellow letters on State Street defaced, Montpelier police said.
A “considerable amount” of graffiti was also found on a sidewalk nearby but referenced “government spending” and did not appear to be connected to the mural, Police Chief Anthony Facos told The Post on Monday.
“$400 million gone,” one spray-painted sidewalk message read.
A person of interest — a white man in his 50s — is being sought, but no arrests had been made as of midday Monday, police said.
“We’re hoping to have closure fairly soon,” Facos said. “There’s still evidence to be processed and more investigation needs to be conducted.”
More than 100 volunteers turned out Saturday to paint the mural, which will need to be “touched up” after the weekend vandalism, Facos said.
“The community is actually committed to repainting it so it doesn’t look worn out,” the chief said, adding that State Street outside the Vermont Statehouse will need to be closed a second time.
Investigators were working Monday to identify the man in his 50s — who wore a dark, brimmed hat and had scruffy facial hair — in connection with the vandalism, police said.
“We have reviewed the video footage but are unable to identify the subject seen in the video,” Capt. Neil Martel wrote in an email. “We are asking anyone that may have seen anything in the area during the overnight time frame to contact our agency.”
The man may have been present during the mural painting, police said
The Montpelier City Council unanimously approved the mural, which was painted Saturday with materials purchased by community volunteers, the Burlington Free Press reported.