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In a follow-up to a story we first reported in June of 2005, on Monday, Portsmouth Police arrested a man and charged him with vandalizing the Confederate Soldiers' Monument located in the downtown area of the city.
The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Troy Capps of Portsmouth.
Police say he was involved in defacing the monument on Court and High Streets by spray-painting the faces of the soldier with black paint.
The monument was badly damaged, and crews worked for months to restore it.
Capps was charged with a Class 6 felony. There was no information released on whether or not Capps is believed to have acted alone.
Previous Coverage:
Portsmouth Officials Begin Clean-up on Confederate Monument
Portsmouth officials have begun the effort to restore the vandalized monument to Confederate soldiers in the city's downtown.
Authorities say sometime last Friday night or Saturday morning, someone spray painted black paint on the faces of the four soldiers depicted in the monument, which is located on Court Street near its intersection with High Street in downtown Portsmouth.
City officials consulted metal experts on the best way to remove the paint from the memorial without removing the patina of the soldier, who are made of cast zinc.
A metal conservator from Richmond began removing the paint Thursday morning. Although progress was made, authorities say the paint may never be completely removed because it actually soaked into the over-100 year old, coarse metal.
The Confederate Memorial, dedicated in 1893, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The monument features a 56-foot granite pillar surrounded by four statues of men representing a different branch of the Confederate military: Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery, and Navy.
The monument clean-up is expected to cost $1600. The money is coming from a fund already set aside by the city to restore local monuments.
Police have made no arrests in connection with the vandalism. Anyone who may have information that can help their investigation is asked to call the Crimeline at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
