A 33 year-old man from in Dorchester is believed to the person responsible for the recent vandalism at the Vietnam War Memorial on Morrissey Boulevard. See press release from State police below:
UMass Boston Police and the Massachusetts State Police have identified and interviewed the man who vandalized the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Dorchester on Thursday. The man, a 33-year-old Dorchester resident, was taken into custody without incident this morning by State Troopers and UMass Officers. He was then interviewed by police. Following the interview, the man was sent to a Boston hospital for mental health evaluation and treatment. As such, his name is not being released at this time.
If he is released from the hospital over the weekend he will be returned to police custody and charged with offenses of malicious destruction of property over $250 and tagging. If he is hospitalized for treatment he will be summonsed to Dorchester District Court on those charges at a later date. The man additionally is the subject of a prior default warrant out of the Dorchester court for a previous larceny of an American flag and Massachusetts state flag from the UMass campus. The warrant stems from a separate, past incident. The identification of the suspect was the result of various investigative actions undertaken jointly by both police agencies.
The memorial, located off Morrissey Boulevard, is situated on open space owned and maintained by the university. The vandalism, which included the removal and destruction of dozens of shrubs and flowers, the removal of numerous American flags which were thrown into a creek, and various writings on stone posts at the memorial, was discovered early Thursday afternoon.
No further information is being released at this time.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
