FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — A 30-year-old Fairview Park man is in custody and charged with vandalizing a vacant building and a nonprofit in Fairview Park with graffiti of racial slurs, according to the Fairview Park Police Department.
Fairview Park police said Michael J. Freshwater, 30, of Fairview Park, appeared in Rocky River Municipal Court Tuesday on felony charges of vandalism and ethnic intimidation.
Based on collected evidence, investigators established probable cause to obtain a search warrant, which was executed Friday evening. When the search warrant was executed, Freshwater was found in violation of a temporary protection order.
Chief Paul Shepard spoke to News 5 Tuesday after the announcement of Freshwater's arrest and reiterated the vandalism and actions of one person don’t represent Fairview Park.
"This was the work of one person. This person did some horrible act and he's been held accountable for," said Shepard. "We've taken him into custody. We have no evidence that anybody else but him were involved in this event and these crimes. And we will make sure that we prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law."
The charges stemmed from two vandalism incidents in Fairview Park.
On June 12, a vacant business in the Fairview Centre shopping center on Lorain Road was vandalized with a spray-painted racial slur. On June 15, investigators identified a person of interest.
The most recent vandalism happened on July 1 at Colors+ Youth Center, an advocacy center for LGBTQ+ youth and allies located on Lorain Road.
The nonprofit had a brick thrown through the window. A racial slur was also painted on the business, police said.
The youth center just recently opened its refurbished location on Lorain Road about a month ago, and while the incident is disappointing, the organization isn't shying away from its mission of inclusivity and visibility.
The day the vandalism occurred, executive director Kristen Pepera for the nonprofit said since opening the center, it was a possibility it would be targeted.
"I think we were worried about when we became more visible that this was a possibility, that something might happen to be targeted. But we thought of course it was gonna be LGBTQ-related and it was Black Lives Matter targeted‚" Pepera said. "We are not going to stop supporting it. Because of that we're gonna hang our flag back up. We want to know that Black lives matter, trans lives matter and LGBTQ lives matter. And we're still here fighting for that to keep that safe space."
Surveillance video captured an individual matching the same physical characteristics as the individual identified as a person of interest in the first incident.
Police said Freshwater, who has a criminal history of vandalism, theft, disorderly conduct, domestic violence and felonious assault, is being held on bond at North Olmsted’s Jail.
Shepard said the community is safe and it’s welcoming to all who want to make a home here.
"It is a city that wants people to come and live and be happy and just be able to go about their lives as best they can," Shepard said. "So in one hand, do people like this exist? Yes, even in Fairview Park. The other hand is that we take it very seriously, and we were able to bring him to justice within a short period of time after the July 1 event."
RELATED:Fairview Park LGBTQ+ center vandalized, suspect in custody
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