BEATRICE – Beatrice Police have cited three persons for spray-paint vandalism this week at two city parks.


Captain Dan Moss says two juveniles and a youth who just recently turned 19, were ticketed for criminal mischief…and the 19-year-old was also cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The 19-year-old was identified as Manuel Esquivel, of Beatrice.


Lieutenant Jay Murphy talks about how police identified those suspected of the damage.  "The night of the 15th at about 9:20 p.m. we had an officer patrolling through Riverside Park...and happened to see two juveniles run away from the structure there, headed toward a vehicle that was located in the park. He contacted three juveniles at that vehicle and spoke to them. They denied any involvement in anything. However, the officer did observe some paint cans inside the vehicle and through talking with them further, they did admit to spray-painting graffiti in Riverside Park."


Police found a plastic bag in the vehicle with numerous cans of blue and black paint. One juvenile and the 19-year-old were suspected in the damage done at Chautauqua Park while both juveniles and the adult were suspected in the Riverside Park damage.

Murphy said the damage was done over three nights. Spray painted words, symbols and obscenities were found on a bathroom facility, stage and picnic tables at Chautauqua Park earlier this week. Damage was discovered later in the week at Riverside Park, where a bathroom and shower house sustained damage, as did a tennis and basketball court area.


There is a 10 p.m. curfew at city parks. Park restrooms are scheduled to reopen for the spring and summer seasons, on April 1st.