A Vallejo man is in custody after allegedly defacing a public mural celebrating diversity and inclusion in downtown Benicia, police said.
Esa Makai, 24, faces charges of felony vandalism and a misdemeanor hate crime after allegedly targeting the “Together We Rise” mural last week.
Benicia Police Department investigators said they identified Makai through surveillance video and Flock license plate reader cameras. Officers located a can of spray paint inside his vehicle during the investigation, and police said he subsequently confessed to the crime.
The artwork was created in May to celebrate inclusiveness and foster community pride.
“It’s so beautiful and inspiring,” said Victoria Urquhart, a Benicia business owner. “I know it stops people in their tracks every time they’re walking up and down the street. It’s brought a lot of color and magic to otherwise boring alley space.”
The act of vandalism targeted a section of the mural featuring a rainbow wing designed by artist Wendy Buresh, which represents positive values, including love, peace, hope, diversity, and belonging.
“My wing represents diversity, inclusivity, belonging within our community,” Buresh said, noting the section contained “a lot of words of positivity. Love, peace, hope, diversity, inclusion, better together, belonging.”
According to Buresh, this marks the second time the rainbow wing section of the mural has been vandalized since its installation in May, with the latest incident involving red spray paint.
“I think red, I think anger. So I made somebody angry,” Buresh said regarding the damage.
Learning of the suspect’s arrest brought mixed emotions for the artist.
“It is a relief, but it’s also a lot to process,” Buresh said. “I’m trying to make sense of why. I think that’s the hardest part is just trying to understand why he did it.”
The woman who commissioned the mural and owns a gallery inside the building noted that the suspect is also a mural artist, making the situation even harder to process for the local arts community.
Despite the setback, community members and artists plan to restore the piece. Buresh said she intends to repaint the damaged section with the support of the local collective of artists who originally helped construct it.
“People look at it and they feel a sense of belonging, so I want to continue to create that,” Buresh said.
Urquhart echoed the sentiment, sharing the emotional impact the incident has had on the neighborhood.
“I just want everybody to be loved and welcomed, and to have it vandalized hurts my heart,” Urquhart said.
