MERIDEN — A man has turned himself in to police in connection with vandalism at Meriden City Hall that included cutting flag ropes and damaging a statue.
Marco Mejil Jr., 30, was arrested on charges of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree after voluntarily surrendering at Meriden Police Headquarters on March 18 at approximately 6:00 p.m.
The incident occurred on February 25 at approximately 3:51 p.m. near E Main St and Broad St, when officers were dispatched following reports of a man cutting flag ropes near a median.
According to police, witnesses described seeing a light-complexioned Black or Hispanic male wearing a blue jacket exit a light blue Acura SUV before using a knife to cut the ropes of flags and then heading toward Wallingford.
Officers discovered a flagpole at the Church located at 460 Broad Street had been snapped approximately 15 feet from the ground, though initial assessment suggested the damage might not have been caused by human intervention.
Richard Doucette, the City of Meriden’s Superintendent of Facilities, later reported additional damage including a missing POW flag, broken small American flags, and graffiti on the Christopher Columbus statue.
Following investigation, police identified Mejil as a suspect and secured an arrest warrant.
Mejil is currently being held on a $500 surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Meriden Superior Court on April 1 at 9:00 a.m.
