A man is facing charges after an iconic statue in Salem, Massachusetts was vandalized.
The landmark "Bewitched" statue at Essex and Washington streets was found covered in red paint Monday.
“We smelled actually paint in the air,” said Richard Rennard. “My wife was the one that said, 'what’s he doing?' and we looked over and I got up and yelled. He was just standing here very nonchalantly with red paint, just painting the statue.”
The suspect has been identified by police as 32-year-old Kylynn Chambers. He was spotted near the train station minutes after the crime. Police say he ran when approached by officers but he was quickly arrested. Chambers is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and a felony of defacing property.
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The bronze statue commemorates the TV show "Bewitched," which aired in the 60’s and 70’s, and filmed several episodes in Salem, according to the city's website. It depicts actress Elizabeth Montgomery riding a broom. Montgomery played lead character Samantha Stephens in the show, the character known for twitching her nose to cast a spell.
“I’m almost 50 years old, so it’s nostalgia for me,” said tourist Jennifer Larose. “It’s what I saw growing up so it just has a lot of fond memories for me.”
Larose says the statue was a key destination when she was planning her trip here.
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“This was one of the few things I wanted to see while we were here and we came up and it had red all over it and you could tell someone had spray painted it,” she said.
Chambers will be arraigned Tuesday. It was not immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney.
