RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City Police are investigating vandalism to the city’s presidential statues.
The first incident occurred Wednesday afternoon when multiple calls reported a male suspect spray painting several of the statues. Six statues were found to have been affected and police obtained a description of the suspect along with photographs.
After speaking with witnesses, officers obtained a description of the suspect along with photographs. At 8:15 p.m., a male fitting the description was found lying on the ground in front of an E. Knollwood Drive property and identified as 66-year-old Charles Rencountre from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Rencountre was arrested for six counts of Second Degree Vandalism and taken to the Pennington County Jail based on a positive identification by a witness to the original incident.
Later, at approximately 10:45 p.m., police were once again dispatched to the downtown area in response to reports of another suspect spray painting statues. Five additional statues were discovered to have been vandalized. The second suspect remains unidentified, but authorities are actively pursuing leads to apprehend and locate the individual responsible for the damage. 13 total statues were affected by the two incidents of vandalism.
Efforts are underway to address the aftermath of the vandalism, as Rapid City Parks and Recreation, along with Main Street Square, are working diligently to clean up the affected statues before Summer Nights on Thursday evening.
