ST. GEORGE — A man was arrested Thursday morning for allegedly using chalk to vandalize several locations in St. George.
Mitchell McKibbin, 40, of St. George, faces one third-degree felony count of graffiti and two misdemeanor counts of graffiti.
The charges stem from three alleged incidents, the first of which was reported in the area of 1050 W. 1250 North at 8 a.m., where officers found a large utility pole with chalk-writing covering a 9-by-9-foot area of the pole.
They found the same type of chalk-writing on a wall about 20 yards from the utility pole, and as they continued north, they found a retaining wall with additional chalk-writing on a 15-by-10-foot area of the wall.
As officers were photographing the scene on 1250 North, the St. George 911 Communications Center received a call from a business reporting vandalism on their property in downtown St. George. A Dixie State University Campus Police officer in the area of the call observed McKibbin writing on Tabernacle Street, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest.
As the writings and markings discovered in all three locations were created using chalk, investigators linked them to McKibbin.
After police found chalk in his vehicle, McKibbin was arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility where he was booked on the alleged offenses shortly before 10 a.m. with bail requirements of $3,000.
Using what they describe as a “graffiti damage chart,” police estimated the damages to be nearly $5,000.
During a court hearing in 5th District Court Friday, the defendant was scheduled to be released on his own recognizance, under several release conditions, including one that relates to the offenses in question. “Defendant is not to write on anything other than paper,” court records state.
McKibbin is scheduled to be back in court for a felony roll call hearing Tuesday.
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