Three teens in the USA are facing jail sentences after they were caught allegedly vandalising a rainbow cross walk in Spokane, Washington.
The town has just finished repainting the pride emblem when the trio allegedly damaged it with the tires of their rented scooters. The artwork had only been restored a few hours earlier after a previous attack saw fire used to destroy the gay pride emblem.
Local television news outlet KREM2 reported that 19-year-old Ruslan Turko, and two younger teenagers who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been arrested over the incident.
Prosecutors asked for $15,000 bond when he appeared in court noting that this would be the cost of repainting the mural again.
Police were alerted to the vandalism by witnesses who also reported one member of the trio of alleged offenders also shouted a gay slur.
The trio may face significant consequences for their actions. Back in March Washington’s governor signed into law new legislation which allows judges to hand out significant fines and jail time for offences that deface property and are deemed a hate crime.
A jail sentence of up to 5 years is the maximum penalty allowed under the new legislation. The bill that brought about the new legislation was brought in after LGBTIQA+ landmarks were repeatedly vandalised.
Lime, the company that provides hire scooters around the streets of Spokane said they were appalled their scooters were allegedly used to damage the crosswalk.
“All of us at Lime condemn these vile acts in no uncertain terms. At a time when our teams at Lime are beginning pride celebrations around the globe, it is disturbing to see the hate taking place in Spokane.
“Lime is taking immediate action against the perpetrators and doubling down on our support of Spokane Pride and Spokane Arts.
“Lime is proud to put time and resources into celebrating Pride Month each year and supporting LGBTQ+ organizations working to uplift and protect queer people in cities around the world.
“We will not let the hateful few spoil the joy of Pride Month in Spokane, and are grateful for those working to make Spokane more welcoming for all.” the business said.
