TAMPA, Fla. — Three people were arrested overnight after police said they defaced the “Back the Blue” mural in downtown Tampa. 

According to authorities, officers saw four suspects just before 11 p.m. spray painting graffiti on the mural on the roadway in front of police headquarters on Madison Street at the intersection of Franklin Street. 


What You Need To Know

  • Police: 3 arrested after police say mural outside police headquarters was defaced again

  • Mural was painted Aug. 1, had been defaced twice

  • PREVIOUS STORY: "Back the Blue" mural vandalized

Police detained several people and then reviewed video and identified four of the detained suspects. 

The four defendants were placed into custody.

Alexander Drummond and Seth Raigoza, both 18, and Emily A. Gabaree, 19, were arrested. Each was charged with one count of criminal mischief.

The fourth defendant was a juvenile and given an notice to appear and released to their parent on scene.

The incident was the latest defacing of the mural.

A group of people painted “Back the Blue” on Madison Street on Aug. 1. 

The people who painted ‘Back the Blue’ didn’t have a permit, and they blocked the street for hours to turn the street into a pro-police mural.

Since it was painted, two other groups vandalized it with tar and red paint and spray-painted graffiti on the police headquarters’ front door.