An accused vandal who allegedly painted the pool at Rockwell Park last spring is seeking accelerated rehabilitation that would clear him of any criminal record – and city leaders are willing to go along with the request.
As long as Remy Jorge Castro y Calzada, 19, agrees to pay back the $2,869 it cost the city to repair the damage “it’s fine with us,” said Park Director Ed Swicklas.
“I don’t want to kill the guy’s lifestyle,” Mayor Art Ward said, but he wants the taxpayers to get their money back in return for giving the green light for Castro y Calzada’s request.
“I don’t have a problem as long as I get my money,” Swicklas said.
Castro y Calzada, of 33 Woodard Drive, has been charged with spray painting the drained pool last spring and with defacing $37,000 worth of Boston and Maine Railroad property.
He faces first-degree criminal mischief and third-degree trespassing charges for the April park vandalism along with other charges for “tagging” the railroad property in September.
Castro y Calzada is due in court on the Rockwell Park vandalism on Jan. 30.
Assistant city attorney Jeff Steeg said the city was notified that the accused vandal had sought accelerated rehabilitation. It could object, ignore the notice or request specific action.
“At a minimum, I’m going to ask for damages,” Steeg said.
“Anything less than that” isn’t good enough, the mayor said. “I want restitution.”
But, he said, he doesn’t want a single incident in which nobody suffered physical injury to jeopardize Castro y Calzada’s entire future.
The young man “shouldn’t have done” the spray painting, Ward said, but if he agrees to pay back the city for the damage he caused he can begin to get his life in order.
“I would like to see some community service” included in the accelerated rehabilitation program, too, the mayor said.
A vandalism spree last year, which included the mauling of a Memorial Boulevard statue, had city officials pushing the police to crack down on the culprits.The police haven’t yet made an arrest in the statue vandalism.
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
8 comments:
Death penalty!
hey Ed, it's not "your" money. unfortunately that's how these city workers tend to think.
This criminal should pay for the damage he caused plus interest for the money the city had to shell out to fix the problem, do community service and publically apologize to the citizens of Bristol. Probation should also be included.
Helluva message Art!!
No wonder we are in such trouble!
You can't get blood from a stone.
Community service HAS to be part of the "deal."Without that,how will the perpetrator ever learn the "down side" of his actions?
I agree with tim,have the hoodlum do clean up at the eye sore of the old food mart, them have him clean all of bristols notable statues.
He should be paying for the damage he created and also be punished, how else will he ever learn his lesson. Todays courts codel our youth which sends no message to them at all that they are doing wrong. Make them pay for their actions!!
Post a Comment