mrsmaalox
02-19-2009, 10:41 AM
Man accused of writing on Alamo wall
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Man_accused_of_writing_on_Alamo_wall.html
The alleged perpetrator might call it art. But others consider it defacing the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
An Illinois man suspected of defacing the Alamo was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief after authorities witnessed him writing on the historic site’s northeast wall, police said.
Stephen Henry Wise of Evanston, Ill., remained jailed on a $2,000 bond.
“Defacing the Alamo is like desecrating a grave,” said Alamo Director David Stewart.
According to a police report, the 44-year-old suspect wrote the letters “LCC” on a patch of limestone at a corner near Avenue E and Houston Street. The wall is part of the original Long Barracks constructed by missionaries in 1724, Stewart said.
The letters, scrawled with a piece of clay or pastel art pencil, were about 8 inches high, authorities said. Alamo rangers were not sure what LCC means.
Though the letters were cleaned off the stone, the suspect still faces a state jail felony charge of damaging a public monument.
“He wasn’t your typical graffiti tagger,” said Sgt. Alfredo Gonzales, an Alamo ranger.
Gonzales said the suspect, who described himself as an artist who works for a municipal government, was apologetic and cooperative when confronted by authorities about 8:45 a.m. after a witness reported seeing the man writing on the wall.
“He did say it (the graffiti) was a project, and that some professor wanted him to put those initials on some building, so he chose that wall there,” Gonzales said.
The suspect told authorities he was unaware the wall was part of the Alamo’s original structure.
Graffiti is rare for the Alamo. Most visitors are respectful, but rangers record about two incidents every month involving people simulating the infamous incident in which heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo grounds, authorities said.
“Most are just posing for photos, but we kick them off the property,” Gonzales said.
On Jan. 1, police arrested a 23-year-old man after a park ranger observed him actually urinating at the Alamo about 2:45 a.m. Because urine is corrosive to limestone, pulling an Ozzy at the Alamo also is a state jail felony.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Man_accused_of_writing_on_Alamo_wall.html
The alleged perpetrator might call it art. But others consider it defacing the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
An Illinois man suspected of defacing the Alamo was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief after authorities witnessed him writing on the historic site’s northeast wall, police said.
Stephen Henry Wise of Evanston, Ill., remained jailed on a $2,000 bond.
“Defacing the Alamo is like desecrating a grave,” said Alamo Director David Stewart.
According to a police report, the 44-year-old suspect wrote the letters “LCC” on a patch of limestone at a corner near Avenue E and Houston Street. The wall is part of the original Long Barracks constructed by missionaries in 1724, Stewart said.
The letters, scrawled with a piece of clay or pastel art pencil, were about 8 inches high, authorities said. Alamo rangers were not sure what LCC means.
Though the letters were cleaned off the stone, the suspect still faces a state jail felony charge of damaging a public monument.
“He wasn’t your typical graffiti tagger,” said Sgt. Alfredo Gonzales, an Alamo ranger.
Gonzales said the suspect, who described himself as an artist who works for a municipal government, was apologetic and cooperative when confronted by authorities about 8:45 a.m. after a witness reported seeing the man writing on the wall.
“He did say it (the graffiti) was a project, and that some professor wanted him to put those initials on some building, so he chose that wall there,” Gonzales said.
The suspect told authorities he was unaware the wall was part of the Alamo’s original structure.
Graffiti is rare for the Alamo. Most visitors are respectful, but rangers record about two incidents every month involving people simulating the infamous incident in which heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo grounds, authorities said.
“Most are just posing for photos, but we kick them off the property,” Gonzales said.
On Jan. 1, police arrested a 23-year-old man after a park ranger observed him actually urinating at the Alamo about 2:45 a.m. Because urine is corrosive to limestone, pulling an Ozzy at the Alamo also is a state jail felony.