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NEWS RELEASE For
Immediate Release |
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TEENAGER CHARGED IN 'VIRGIN MARY' VANDALISM Clearwater Police charged an 18-year-old Clearwater man with Felony Criminal Mischief Monday morning in connection with the March 1 destruction of two large plate glass windows at the Shepherds of Christ Ministries building at 21649 U.S. Highway 19 North. The windows, shattered by slingshot-propelled ball bearings, were part of the "Virgin Mary" image that gained worldwide attention in December 1996. The windows were destroyed before dawn on March 1, 2004. Investigators discovered several small steel ball bearings at the scene, leading detectives to hypothesize that someone had used a slingshot to break the glass, which cost $1,200 to replace. There were no fruitful leads in the case for months, until the School Resource Officer at Clearwater High School developed information that a Clearwater teenager may have been involved. Officer Christian Zarra and case agent Detective John Dieble interviewed KYLE STANLEY MASKELL (12-19-85) about the case Monday morning, and after he admitted to using a slingshot and ball bearings to shoot out the windows, he was charged with Felony Criminal Mischief and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Officer Zarra said he learned that people with whom Maskell had been living discovered two slingshots and a container of ball bearings and newspaper reports of the vandalism after Maskell moved to another location, and provided them to police. Maskell expressed remorse over the incident. Police determined that the windows were not targeted for destruction because of their religious stature in some circles, thus, the act was not a "hate crime." Investigators do not believe anyone else was involved in the act of vandalism. This is the extent of information available regarding this case. For additional details, please contact Public Information Officer Wayne Shelor at 727-562-4333. SID KLEIN |