CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — The Pride crosswalk at the intersection of South Taylor and Superior was defaced less than a month ago, and now the alleged vandal has been criminally charged, according to the City of Cleveland Heights.
RELATED: 'Designed to intimidate us': Cleveland Heights LGBTQ+ crosswalk defaced
Pictures of the vandalism surfaced on social media in late March, and it sent a tidal wave of hurt through the LGBTQ+ community.
"It doesn't erase us. It doesn't cover us up. It covers a sidewalk that gets driven across by thousands of cars a day. You can't invisibilize us. You can paint it over, you can spray paint it, you can do whatever. It will not take us away," Cleveland Heights resident Amy Eugene previously told me.
Drew Herzig, who also lives in Cleveland Heights, said he felt uncomfortable and unsafe seeing that something as simple as a rainbow crosswalk would be spray-painted as such.
"It seems like minor vandalism, but it's the tip of the iceberg," he said in March. "There's a national campaign to force people like us to be invisible, to criminalize our existence, and we have to stand up and fight back."
For weeks, it was a mystery as to who defaced the crosswalk.
But, the City of Cleveland Heights confirms a man was arrested and charged with a count of Criminal Damaging on April 10.
A Cleveland Heights spokesperson told me the man accused of vandalizing the crosswalk was identified through surveillance cameras and a license plate reader. The individual also allegedly confessed to the crime.
"As Chief of Police, the safety and sense of security of our community are my top priorities. We all deserve and are entitled to live in a community that prioritizes respect for everyone. Any act or conduct that threatens our community members' safety or sense of security will not be tolerated. It’s my hope that the arrest provides some sense of relief," Cleveland Heights Chief of Police Christopher Britton said.
Herzig said he's happy to hear how quickly someone was apprehended and charged in this case.
"I'm glad they caught the person who did it so that they won't do it again, and I'm hoping if they have any sort of community service that it's involved with the LGBTQ plus community. That, to me, would really help restore justice," Herzig told me Wednesday.
When I first talked with Herzig and Eugene, they both considered the vandalism to be a hate crime.
However, Cleveland Heights Mayor Khalil Seren said it doesn't fit the definition of a hate crime.
I'm so appreciative of our Police team for acting quickly and applying ingenuity to locate the suspect. While the actions of the perpetrator do not meet the definition of a hate crime, it is especially distressing to have a crosswalk that celebrates the Pride community defaced. In Cleveland Heights, where our literal motto is 'All Are Welcome,' we take seriously any gesture that suggests the targeting of a protected class or any individual. Everyone deserves to feel safe here.
Many on social media disagree, though.
"This was definitely a hate crime," one Facebook user said.
"Of course it was a hate crime. You don't see graffiti on normal non-rainbow crosswalks. And DeWine wonders why Ohio isn't safe for queer [people]," another person commented.
Herzig, however, said he understands how high the bar is for a crime to be legally deemed a hate crime.
"I think the individual who did this doesn't know enough about us to really to hate us. They're probably following the lead of the professional haters, the ones who do it for money. It's more a crime of ignorance, which is why I hope if they have to do community service, they interact with our community and break down the ignorance and fear that pushes people to do this sort of a thing," Herzig shared.
While Herzig believes a criminal charge is appropriate in this case, he's hoping the weight of the charge isn't too heavy.
"We don't treat felons very well in this country really. We really need to do better with that," Herzig added. "If it's a young person, to carry this for the rest of their life on their record, it's not what I would want for anybody."
He's hoping that not only does this teach the individual accused of vandalizing the crosswalk a lesson, but that everyone in the community learns something.
"I would really love for our allies to put out more pride flags in June to feel that they have our backs and also to feel what it's like to be vulnerable. We all need to learn a lesson from this," Herzig said.
Moving forward, Herzig's main concern now is that the crosswalk has yet to be repainted.
He said it's a constant painful reminder whenever driving through the intersection.
"As soon as the police had enough evidence and somebody was apprehended and charges were made, that's the time to fix it. Otherwise, it hurts to drive by this. It really does," Herzig said. "If City Hall had been vandalized with spray paint, it would be fixed already because they make it a priority. Let's make this a priority. We're supposed to be 'all are welcome' here. This does not say welcome to me, so let's fix this."
A Cleveland Heights spokesperson said once the weather is better and the Public Works Department is available, the crosswalk will be repainted as it is every spring.
