AMHERST – Police have identified a suspect in the recent spray-painting of graffiti on the exterior of nine downtown buildings.
An 18-year-old Amherst man will be summoned to Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown on nine counts of tagging property, said Detective Gregory Wise.
Police determined the man’s involvement Saturday night following an investigation. The Gazette does not publish the names of people who are being summoned to court, where a show-cause hearing before a clerk magistrate will occur prior to an arraignment.
The summons was issued after a man was seen at 2:25 a.m. Friday spray-painting graffiti to the outside of Bertucci’s restaurant, 51 East Pleasant St.
At 6:20 a.m. Friday, similar graffiti was observed on the north side of the building that houses Primo Pizzaria Too, 255 Triangle St., and Amherst Market, 259 Triangle St.
Other graffiti was found in the past week in the alley next to Chopping Block salon, 40 Main St.; a wall of CVS Pharmacy, 76 North Pleasant St.; outside The Sub restaurant, 33 East Pleasant St.; the Boltwood parking garage, 51 Boltwood Walk; Balance restaurant, 1 Boltwood Walk; and Himalaya Friends Corner restaurant, 61 Main St.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
