A couple from Martinez, California has been charged with a hate crime after a video posted to Twitter showed them painting over a Black Lives Matter mural on the Fourth of July.
The yellow mural was painted on the street outside a courthouse in Martinez. The city picked the site when it issued a permit to the organizer, Justin. He says the mural was partially destroyed just one hour after it was painted.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s office identified the two people in the video as David, 53, and Nicole, 42. In the video, Nicole is seen using a paint roller to cover letters of the mural with black paint while David records people who yelled at them to stop. David can also be heard dismissing the idea of police brutality and racism as a narrative.
The District Attorney said prosecutors also charged the pair with vandalism under $400 and possession of tools to commit vandalism or graffiti. If convicted, they face up to a year in jail. Charges are allegations, and both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Baller Alert has not seen a public response from either of them.
According to The New York Times, the mural has since been restored and local residents say they are maintaining a presence to prevent more vandalism. The District Attorney called the mural a peaceful and powerful way to communicate the importance of Black lives in Contra Costa County and across the country.
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