Ruston hit with graffiti spree
Leader photo by Nancy Bergeron
Graffiti discovered on the back wall of Fine Line Supply is one of at least three drawings discovered in downtown Ruston. The wall is accessible only through an alley and not visible from the street. Police are investigating the occurrences, but as of Friday, they had no suspect.
Courtesy photos
Graffiti was also found atop the Kitishian’s building (above) on North Trenton Street and near street level behind Patton’s Downtown (right) on Park Avenue. There has been a number of instances of graffiti on building in downtown Ruston in the last week.
Ruston police say they have no suspect in what appears to be a graffiti spree downtown.
And while city officials say they appreciate public art, they don’t want that done without a business owner’s permission. As of Friday, at least three businesses and one construction dumpster had been hit.
Neither police nor the business owners know when the spray-painted designs were done. Several of the designs bear similar characteristics. None are directly visible from major downtown streets.
Police have stepped up their nighttime patrol downtown and are “hoping somebody with some information comes forward,” Ruston Deputy Police Chief Chad Hamlin said.
It was Fine Line Supply owner Henry McCoy who first noticed graffiti on the top wall of the Kitishian’s building at the corner of North Trenton Street and West Alabama Avenue.
“I spotted something on his building last week, but I wasn’t sure what I was seeing,” McCoy said Friday.
Then a neighboring business found graffiti on the back wall of Mc-Coy’s business. That’s when McCoy flew his drone over Kitishian’s and saw what appears to be the word “trash” written in stylized orange letters outlined in black.
“Somebody had to have climbed up on top of my building to get up there to graffiti it,” Mc-Coy said.
McCoy’s building is 14 feet high.
The back wall of his store that was graffitied is accessible only through a private parking lot and an alley and isn’t visible from the street.
“What was sad was there was a mural on that wall they graffitied over,” McCoy said.
The mural was done by a local artist as part of a downtown mural project.
Graffiti has also been found on a dumpster in Lewis Alley, on a wall in Lewis Alley, and reportedly around North Trenton Street and West Alabama Avenue.
Amy Stegall, Ruston’s Main Street director and community coordinator, said the graffiti can damage historic buildings, like many of the ones downtown, because of the paint itself and having to have the drawings removed.
She said while the city encourages art downtown and has been intentional about adding art to the downtown culture, it doesn’t condone graffiti.
“Graffiti, while a form of artwork, is not something you have permission to do,” Stegall said. “ Clearly we love art, we just want it done the right way.”
McCoy said he’s asked the city to put a light on a utility pole near his building. Several merchants said they are also buying surveillance cameras.
Authorities said no video apparently exists of the graffiti artist.
The latest binge isn’t the first time a downtown building has been graffitied. Both the Heard Freighthouse downtown and the Farmers Market on East Mississippi Avenue have been previously hit.
No arrests appear to have been made in either incident.
Police are investigating the latest occurrences as damageto- property offenses. They’re asking anyone with information regarding the graffiti is to contact the Ruston Police Department at 318-255-4141.
Information can also be submitted to CrimeStoppers of Lincoln Parish by calling 318- 255- 1111, texting a tip to “TIP515 plus your message” to CRIMES (274637), or submitting a tip online at rustonlincolncrimestoppers. com.
Callers remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment.
