Battle Creek Man Arrested For Allegedly Vandalizing Zapata Statue
Hours after the Eric Zapata Memorial Statue on the Kalamazoo Mall was found knocked over an arrest was made.
Around 10:30 Sunday Morning Kalamazoo Silent Observer posted this picture of the vandalized monument on facebook.
Less than 6 hours later an arrest was made according to this KDPS press release:
On 3/3/19, at approx. 5:40 A.M, it was reported that The Eric Zapata Memorial Statue
honoring the fallen Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officer located on the
Kalamazoo Mall near Water St had been knocked over and vandalized. The damaged
memorial was actually discovered by the fallen officer’s son while on patrol.
Officers canvassed the area and were able to locate video surveillance from the
surrounding businesses that recorded a group of subjects stop near the memorial as they
were walking down the mall at approx 1:17 A.M. A male subject in the group posed
briefly for photographs in front of the memorial before getting a running start at the
statue causing it to topple over. The male was last seen running southbound on the mall.
With the help of other nearby businesses, officers were able to identify the subject as a 29
year old Battle Creek man.
Officers located the subject and arrested him for willful destruction of a memorial which
is a 5 year felony.
Although an arrest was made, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety is still asking that anyone with more info on this incident contact them at 337-8994 or call Silent Observer at 343-2100.