Older Blue Vandals indicted
The adult members of the spray-paint-wielding trio of teens known as the Blue Vandals were indicted on multiple vandalism counts Friday.
Indicted were Norman Cox, 18, on 11 counts of vandalism and Chris Haycox, 18, on eight counts of vandalism. The younger member of their group, Chris McCormick, 17, has already entered a guilty plea in Juvenile Court where he was given probation and public service work to make amends for his part in the crime.
The indictments come for a string of spray paint vandalisms last month mainly concentrated near the downtown and greenway areas. The teens, with their trademark blue paint, struck on three nights, painting obscenities and satanic symbols on sidewalks, walls, doors, and other property.
They were nabbed two days after their last hit, that being the Rotary-sponsored overlook near the Frank G. Clement Bridge on the greenway after the suspicious-acting teens were confronted by Investigator Barry Powers who was investigating the vandalism.
The teens confessed to the crime during questioning as one even had a clipping from a newspaper article about the vandalism in his pocket. They later told the Southern Standard they committed the vandalisms as a protest because they felt the city and its police had a hand in shutting down Lighthouse Ministries, their Christian retreat, formerly located on Sparta Street. All three apologized for their part in the crimes which police believe will cost over $1,000 to completely fix.
According to Powers, Haycox and Cox took part in two nights each while McCormick was present on all three nights. The counts against the teens represent the vandalisms for which they were present. Powers pointed out many of the vandalisms were heaped into single counts in situations like sidewalk painting and the vandalism to separate buildings owned by BRC in Depot Bottom.